


The Misanthrope

by kazuma85



Category: Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Anal Fingering, Anal Sex, Angst, Comfort, Coming Untouched, Complete, Eventual Romance, First Kiss, First Time, Fluff and Angst, Friendship/Love, Loss of Virginity, Love, M/M, Masturbation, Oral Sex, Rimming, Romance, Shounen-ai, Yaoi
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-10-15
Updated: 2014-01-17
Packaged: 2017-12-29 12:14:16
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 14
Words: 25,516
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1005304
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kazuma85/pseuds/kazuma85
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The story is set in an AU world where Eren was only a child when the humanity won against Titans. When he's fifteen, he meets Levi, humanity's introverted hero, who is not exactly the kind of person people believe he is.<br/>Rated M for future chapters.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

Almost ten years had passed since what it seemed was the final battle with Titans, and five years since any kind of Titan sighting. The Humanity presumably safe, many heroes and veterans had retired, either changing their profession, or visiting schools to inform young generations about the gruesome struggles the mankind had to suffer.

Most people still stayed within the Walls, afraid to move even though the migrations were now possible and safe.

Ever since hearing stories about Titans when he was a child, now fifteen-year-old Eren Jaeger was incredibly intrigued. Most of the older civilians didn't like to talk about the "dark times", so the only way to learn as much as he wanted to was at school and from veterans.

The latest guest lecturer had been the famous commander of the Scouting Legion, Erwin Smith. He'd explained the fundamentals, the use of 3D maneuver gear and military tactics. He'd also talked with great respect and shine of pride in his eyes, about _'Humanity's strongest_ ' soldier who'd killed, without assistance, twelve 15-meter Titans in a single battle and who was now retired and wishing to stay out of politics and any kind of public exposure. For all of his achievements, the man could have easily demanded his own castle, and he would have gotten it, but he was humble enough to just fall back into the shadow.

' _That's a true hero,_ ' Eren mused, wishing that he had been born earlier and participated in the battles. With that thought he had already decided to enlist after graduating, just to become a small piece of the Military, even though the Scouting Legion – one that he admired the most – had been disbanded several years ago. 

 

*****

 

Going home from school one Tuesday, Eren decided to take the longer route through the streets with new buildings, mostly inhabited by war veterans, hoping he'd catch a few words or a story from the people there.

Some ex-soldiers were chatty, some weren't and Eren had already learned not to mention stories he'd heard from ex-Military police to other veterans because they were mostly accused of "never even seeing a real Titan" and "spending most their time safely within the Walls, thinking they're very useful".

It was kind of sad really, that there was so much intolerance within the Military.

Just as he thanked an older man with no legs for his story, Eren heard a familiar voice. He frowned, already knowing from the overly polite tone that his best friend Armin was bullied again. That kid was great with words most of the time, but everyone knew that there was no reasoning with bullies.

Eren jogged around the corner of the dead-end street and saw two morons, pushing Armin around, while the poor little guy tried to retrieve his backpack from a third, also moron.

"Hey," he bellowed, hurrying to help his friend.

"Eren!" Armin was ridiculously happy to see him.

One of the guys recognized him and paused, looking around. Eren already knew he was searching for Mikasa, because she's the one who'd usually beat the crap out of anyone hurting her friends, and she usually hung with him and Armin...

Eren was brave, yes, and ready to protect his friends too, but he knew that even if he fought, he'd lose against the three of them. So he decided to try playing the Mikasa-card first. "You guys really want to wait for _her_?"

"Let's go," the leader muttered, "but first," he grinned as he snatched Armin's backpack from one of his friends. "Have fun retrieving this."

And before Eren could get to him, the guy yanked open the bag and threw random things out of it into the yard of one of the houses. The last was the book Armin adored, that his grandfather gave him. It was thrown right into the front window of the house, creating a loud crash.

Both Eren and Armin cringed with horror, while the bullies laughed like hyenas and ran away.

"Oh crap... Crap, crap, crap," Eren babbled, staring at the house and the yard. "If someone's home, we're screwed... If they aren't, we can't get your book back..."

"But we didn't do anything," Armin countered. "I'm sure they'll understand."

"Really, Armin," Eren rolled his eyes. "Like, what if some PTSD dude lives here? He'll cut us in half!"

"Please... It's my grandfather's book... I don't really care about other stuff. Just that book," Armin sighed and made such a sad expression that Eren couldn't look at him anymore.

"Fine," he said softly. "You stay here, ready to call for help if I get killed, ya hear me?"

Armin giggled, nodding. "Thank you for doing this."

"Yeah, yeah, thank me later..." Eren murmured, already climbing over the fence.

It was silent enough, so he figured nobody was home. He peeked through the broken window, but the inside of the room was too dark to see anything. Turning around to look at Armin, Eren shrugged apologetically as if to say _'sorry about your book_ '. He _wasn't_ going to break into someone's home.

Instead, Eren crouched down and started picking Armin's other stuff that was lying on the ground. They'll obviously have to get back some other time to retrieve the book. And maybe Eren could ask his mom to bake some cookies for him to bring, as an apology.  

Still in a crouch, Eren moved across the yard, going towards a corner where Armin's math notebook had landed. He picked it up from between two clay pots that contained cacti. Of course he'd pricked himself.

"Ouch," Eren whined, sucking on his fingertip. As he turned from the corner to search for more pencils in the grass, he saw a dark brown boot. Eyebrow twitching nervously, he slowly let his gaze slide up. The boot went all the way up to its owner's knee and Eren froze when he saw white pants.

' _M-m-m-military uniform,_ ' Eren thought as he was scared speechless. _'A PTSD guy is about to cleave my head off for breaking his window!_ ' Eren's eyes darted up, to at least see the face of his murderer-to-be.

He was met with such a dark scowl that all the cookies in the world probably wouldn't help him. The half-lidded grey eyes were sharp on him, making him feel pinned down to the ground... Like a mouse that was about to be attacked by a hawk.

Eren opened his mouth to say something – anything – but his voice refused to cooperate. He wheezed instead.

"I-I-I'm..."

"You're trespassing," the man so helpfully informed.

Eren lifted Armin's bag as if to explain why.

"Can you even speak? Stand up."

Quickly, Eren scrambled up, standing stiffly, almost saluting at the way he was commanded. He didn't even realize he was squeezing his eyes shut. When he opened them, he was momentarily confused because he actually had to look... slightly down.  

Eren wasn't very tall, himself, so... This guy was tiny by some standards, but his menacing aura was looming over Eren as if he were a Titan.

"I'm sorry about your window, sir," Eren blurted out.

"Did you break it?"

"No?"

"Don't apologize for something you didn't do," the man seemed irritated. "Is this your book," he leafed through it.

"It's my friend's..."

"It's extremely rare. There are maybe three or four copies that weren't burned by the Wall cult. Tell your friend not to carry around something so valuable."

"Burned, sir?"

Eren was granted with a look that was something between angry, frustrated and incredulous.

"Don't they teach you _anything_ in school?"

Eren blinked. "Uh...?"

"The whole idea about the world behind the Walls was a taboo. Talking about it was frowned upon. Having a book about it? ... Ignorant brat."

' _Of course I know about that, where the hell did my brain go?_ ' Eren's mind screamed at him. "Oh, I know that! I'm sorry, sir..."

"You should be. And stop it already with ' _sir_ '!"

"Yes sir! I mean, mister! Uh... you?" Eren wanted to hit his head against a wall. Repeatedly.

"Just Levi," the man scowled at him and didn't seem interested in knowing his name.

"L-Levi. So, um..."

Levi shoved the book in question into Eren's hands.

"Thanks..."

"You're very welcome," Levi said, walking to his gate and opening it for Eren. "Now get the hell off my property."

Eren hurried out and as he turned to thank Levi again, the man had already slammed the gate shut and was walking back into his house. Eren watched him go, trying to gather his wits from the whole encounter.

Armin peeked from around the corner. "Did you get it?"

Eren stared at him. "Some help you were! I almost died in there!" He walked over to his friend and gave him the backpack and the book. "The guy, Levi, said that you shouldn't carry that book around. It's too rare and valuable."

"I know," Armin sighed, hugging the book to his chest. "I just can't help myself."

Eren knew that sad look. All that Armin had from his grandfather was that book and an old, tattered hat. And ever since Armin had lost his grandfather, his and Eren's friendship deepened even more and he became a regular guest to Eren's home.

"Come on," Eren said, putting an arm around the blond boy's shoulders. "Mom's waiting with dinner."

 

 

 

 

 

 


	2. Chapter 2

Returning to the "scene of crime" was probably a mistake, Eren thought while approaching Levi's house the next day. But, first, after he'd told his parents what happened, his mom insisted on baking her famous cookies, even though it wasn't Eren's or Armin's fault. And second, Eren truly wanted to do something nice, at least for bugging the man by trespassing into his yard.

So there he was, holding a plate of freshly baked cookies, fearing for his life again.

*****

_"Eren, you have to go back there with my cookies! If that man is THE Levi-heichou, the hero everyone's talking about, you can't just forget about what happened! We owe him everything! Our lives, our freedom... You being nice to him is the least you can do!"_

*****

Knowing that made Eren even more nervous. But how many people could have the same name? And be a part of the Military? He was scared enough as it was, he really didn't need to know more intimidating facts about that guy. Yes, that's right. He surely wasn't _that_ Levi. The hero. Right? Heroes don't have such sour looks on their faces, Eren was certain.

He eyed the fence and the gate, hoping it was unlocked, so he wouldn't have to climb over again and piss Levi off more. If that was even possible, judging the man's scowl the day before. Fortunately for Eren, the gate opened easily, but he began sweating just from thinking of knocking on the front door.

His head full of what-ifs, Eren walked up to the house entrance on auto-pilot and knocked three times.

He waited a bit and getting no reply, he knocked again, feeling a bit braver. Maybe Levi wasn't home.

But alas, he heard the footsteps on the wooden floor inside. The door opened, revealing the owner of the house.

Eren mustered up his best smile. "Hi! Sorry for bothering you..."

"Then why?" Levi asked, looking like he might just die of boredom.

"Why what?"

"Then why _are_ you bothering me?"

"Because, er..." Eren was rapidly losing his cool. "I thought I bring you some cookies... Not my cookies because I don't know how to make cookies... They're my mom's cookies. Well, not hers, they're yours now, but she made them..."

 

That went well, no?

 

Levi's eyebrow twitched. "You brought me cookies."

"Yeah! For, you know, the trouble... The window and all. They're like, apology cookies."

"Didn't I tell you something about not apologizing if it's not your fault?"

Eren sighed. "Yes, yes you did. But also, as a thank you for..." he chuckled softly. "My mom believes that you're _the_ Levi-heichou, so these are also 'thank-you' cookies... A-are you that Levi? The hero?"

Levi's face darkened suddenly. "I am Levi-heichou, but I'm no goddamn hero. I don't need your cookies," he growled and slammed the door shut.  

If he were a few years younger, Eren would have probably started crying right then and there. He truly couldn't understand the bitterness that oozed from Levi's words. Why would he feel like that? Heroes were role models, right? Heroes smiled, glad that they've helped someone... Right?

Eren blinked at the closed door. He decided to leave the plate there on the porch. Maybe Levi would change his mind. Sighing, he gently put the plate down and left, silently closing the fence gate behind him.

Thinking of Levi made him sad. Was he always that sour, and towards everyone? If that was the case, he was probably alone. And being lonely could make a person even bitterer and unhappy and just like that, formed a closed circle of misery.

' _Being nice to him is the least you can do,_ ' Eren remembered his mom's words. He'd try. It was true, Levi was a hero, ' _humanity's strongest'_ and if Eren could do anything, it was to try and be nice, even though he'd get hurt in return. Having learned that ' _leave me alone_ ' sometimes meant the complete opposite (thanks to Mikasa and her 'female moods' as he liked to call them teasingly), Eren decided that he'd give Levi one more shot. Not that Levi's a girl, but it might just work. Third time's the charm.

 

*****

  

Eren had been gathering his courage for three whole days. This time, he wouldn't let Levi's words get to him. And he'd offer something else completely – no more cookies. Cookies were for grannies.

He'd decided to offer help with Levi's window. Hopefully, he left it broken for these past four days. If not that, then any kind of manual labor. Even watering plants – Levi had a bunch of them in his yard.  

 

*****

 

As Eren turned around the corner of the dead-end street, he was surprised to see Levi outside. The man was raking leaves, gathering them in small, neat piles. Without the scowl on his face, he seemed kind of bored, but oddly peaceful. This, of course, changed the moment Eren said 'hi'.

"You."

Eren gave a weak smile. "Yeah, me."

Levi studied him for a while and then let his rake drop into the grass. "Wait here," he said and walked inside his house, slamming the door behind him.

Wait here? He could do that – 'here' obviously meaning where Levi had been standing, right? Right.

Shrugging, Eren let himself into the yard and then waited as instructed, looking around. Levi had a garden big enough for five apple trees, a pear and two cherry trees, plus plants and flowers, planted or in pots alongside the fence. It felt like Eren saw it for the first time, guessing that was because he was too petrified to notice anything on the first two occasions.  

After a few minutes that Eren had spent on gazing around, Levi came back out, a plate in his hand.

"Why are you in my garden?"

Eren blinked. "You told me to..."

"Wait _there._ "

"Oh. Sorry," the teen said sheepishly.

Levi just rolled his eyes, obviously thinking that Eren was a complete idiot. "You forgot your cookies the other day."

"Yeah," Eren scratched the back of his neck, smiling a bit at the sight of an empty plate. "I forgot them on purpose. Did you like them at least?"

"They were fine," Levi muttered, as if not wanting to admit.

"I, um... That's good, right? And... and maybe I could help you with the window? Or in the garden?"

"What? Why?" Instead of the usual sourness, Levi seemed puzzled by that.

"I know you said not to apologize, but I feel really bad about your window..."

"I've already repaired it."

"Maybe I could help in the garden? Something?" Eren grew more desperate with every passing moment spent under the scrutinizing gaze of his hero. "Anything? I-I just wanna be nice... I have no idea what you've gone through, but I know I'm alive because of you. And my family... and my friends..." Eren babbled on until Levi raised his hand in a gesture to shut him up.

"What's your name brat?"

"E-Eren. Eren Jaeger."

"Eren. Fine then," Levi sighed. "Just stop yapping already."

"Okay," the teen shut his mouth with a click.

The man eyed him suspiciously. "I'll be done with these leaves today. If you want, you can drop by tomorrow afternoon. The apples are ready for picking."

"Apple picking? Sure, sounds fun!"

"Oh my god," Levi rubbed the bridge of his nose. "Now, take your plate and go home. Shoo."

Eren grinned and took it, waving happily in Levi's direction as he sauntered towards the gate. He could hear him muttering that Eren only gave him a headache and something about being an insufferable brat. Grinning even harder, Eren ran down the street, almost tripping over and crashing his mom's plate. He'd get to spend time with a hero, and even do something nice for him – it was any kid's dream, really, and his was actually coming true.

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Eren might seem a bit OOC, but let's not forget that this Eren never had to experience the loss of his loved ones, so he's still a bit naive and innocent.


	3. Chapter 3

During the next two weeks, Eren had helped Levi with picking apples, weeding the garden and moving the plants into the barn for the winter. The time they've spent together was mostly in silence, with an occasional instruction where to move what.

As days went by, Eren noticed that Levi hadn't been only tolerating him anymore. He'd initiate short conversations, ask Eren how he did in school. Levi even insisted on giving him half of the apples they've picked. The first time, Eren had said 'no' out of pure politeness, which had earned him the silent treatment for the remainder of the day. When Levi offered again before sending him home that day, Eren accepted with a wide smile. He of course, returned with a fresh apple pie for Levi the next day.

He couldn't be certain after only two weeks of actually knowing the man, but Eren had a strong feeling that underneath that grouchy mask Levi was actually a kind and caring person. If only he could find out what had made Levi so closed off.

  

*****

 

It was a cloudy day and Eren hurried from school to arrive at Levi's before it would start to rain. The only thing left to do in the garden was to wrap up the young trees in hessian for the winter. Eren had no idea what he'd do after that, but he was thinking really hard to find an excuse to keep hanging out with Levi.

As he arrived, he found Levi already in the garden, preparing the cloths and dried leaves. As per usual for his garden-work, he was wearing a thin, long-sleeved white shirt and black trousers, making Eren wonder how he wasn't feeling cold, with chilly late-October wind blowing.

"Hi!" Eren greeted, letting himself inside the garden. He put his backpack aside, on the porch stairs and joined Levi's side.

"Hey kid," Levi acknowledged him.

"We better hurry up, it's gonna rain soon," Eren said, trying to tuck his hair behind his ears as the wind blew against his back.

"My thinking exactly," Levi murmured and motioned for Eren to come closer.

He explained how they're going to work and showed Eren how to wrap up a tree tight enough so it holds, but loose enough for leaves to create a good thermal isolation. The teen was picking up those things fast enough and Levi seemed pleased by that.

Soon, the rain did start, but Eren wouldn't even dream of complaining. There were only two trees left and he _knew_ that Levi wasn't going to stop at that point. It was cold and uncomfortable even through his jacket, so it must have been really bad for Levi since his shirt got soaked, revealing the contours of his torso. Eren hurried up with his tree, running up to Levi's once he was done.

"I should run home," Eren concluded a few minutes later, once they were done.

"Are you nuts? Come inside and wait it out."

"In-inside?"

Levi had never invited him inside his house before that. Eren had never even _seen_ the inside from the outside, since Levi always shut the door behind him, as if hiding. Speaking of which, the man didn't seem too thrilled with the invitation but he'd offered it to Eren nonetheless. And at the moment, he was watching him with that bored ' _you're an idiot_ ' look.

"Yes inside. What did you think? That I'd let you home soaked and cold? And then I'd have to answer to your mother when you'd caught pneumonia."

"That would be inconvenient, right?" Eren teased.

"Terribly," Levi smirked, already grabbing Eren's backpack from his steps. He opened the door and waited for Eren to enter.

The boy looked around. The kitchen, dining and living area formed a large, open space. Looking to his right, there was a big fireplace against the wall that was closest to the street. In front of it were a sofa and two armchairs, a small table and a fur rug. On the opposite side of the room was a wood-burning stove, surrounded with a few kitchen elements and a sink with running water. In the middle of the room was a dining table for six.

Eren wondered if Levi ever had five guests to fill those seats. He took a step further inside and on his left, saw stairs and two doors. The place was twice the size of Eren's home.

"Move, you're dripping," Levi's voice startled him.

"Oh! Right!" Eren took a step towards the dining table but was suddenly stopped, Levi grabbing the back of his jacket collar.

"Shoes. Off."

Eren grinned apologetically and toed his shoes off, putting them neatly by the front door next to Levi's. There was a loud crack of thunder, making him wince.

"I hope it ends soon..."

"What, you're so uncomfortable being here?" Levi asked sternly.

"N-no! I just, ah, I just meant that I wouldn't want to bother you for too long," Eren fought with words, blushing furiously.

"Relax, I'm just teasing you," Levi did that thing again. He smirked. "I'm kind of used to you bugging me every day."

Was that Levi's way of saying that he's welcome to stay?

Eren was ushered towards the fireplace and Levi took only a short time to have the fire burning. He pulled a drying rack from the corner and pushed it closer to the fireplace. Levi peeled his shirt off, putting it neatly over the rack and then looked at Eren expectantly.

Eren stared, suddenly very self-conscious about getting his own shirt off. While he was thin and quite decently built for a fifteen-year-old boy, seeing Levi's ripped body made him feel like a weakling. Arms, shoulders, pectorals... Abs? Compared to his flat stomach with muscles visible only if he flexed _really hard_ , Levi had an eight-pack, just like that, standing there calmly and looking back at Eren.

And then he'd noticed, on Levi's left side, under the ribcage and disappearing lower beneath his trousers – a scar. Or, to be exact, several scars that seemed to meld together. Eren's jaw dropped as he realized those were teeth marks. _Huge_ teeth marks.

"Staring is rude, you know," Levi informed silently. He didn't seem pissed, but wasn't pleased either.

"Oh my god, I'm sorry," Eren quickly averted his eyes. "I-I didn't mean to..."

"Just give me your jacket and shirt."

Eren hastily took them off and handed them to Levi. He crossed his arms over his stomach, hunching over a bit. As Levi turned while folding his clothes to dry, Eren saw that the teeth mark scar was present on his back as well. It seemed that a Titan actually had him between its teeth. But how in the world did he manage to escape?

Noticing the stare again, Levi glared at him and walked towards the corner where the stairs and two doors were. He went into the room closer to the stairs and returned shortly after, changed into another pair of trousers and a new shirt, very similar to the one he wore outside. He was also holding another fresh shirt and a towel that he tossed to Eren.

"Wear this for now and dry your hair. Are you cold?"

"Thanks... A bit, yeah..." Eren quickly dressed. He had plenty of space for his torso, only the sleeves were slightly too short, and his lower stomach would be bare if he raised his arms.

"Where's your youth? ... He's cold," Levi muttered, but Eren could see he was joking, obviously wishing to avoid questions about the scar.  

"I left it outside in the mud," the teen smiled, drying his hair with vigorous motions.

"We'll look for it later," Levi snorted. "Go sit by the fire and I'll make some tea."

"Thank you," Eren murmured softly. He was really embarrassed, about the staring and about the other man's physique. He sat down cross-legged on the fur rug, and put his hands in front of the fire, to warm up. The rug was soft and he squirmed, making himself more comfortable, one hand lowering into the fur and petting it absentmindedly while waiting for the tea. 

"You're such a kid," Levi scoffed, seeing him on the floor.

"I'm not!" Eren protested, sitting straight up even as his hand remained on the silky fur.

"I was already in the Scouting Legion when I was your age," Levi said, putting two cups of tea on the small table. He dropped carelessly onto the sofa and crossed his legs, smirking at Eren.

That was the first time Levi had ever spoke about his past.

"Well, I would be too, if it still existed!"

"Oh?"

"Yeah! I've heard so many stories about Scouting Legion when I was a kid... I've always wanted to become a part of it, but now..." Eren sighed.

"You're not missing out on anything, kid. Believe me, you're luckier this way."

"But the freedom! And protecting the people!"

"And death, despair and more death," Levi added quietly.

Eren studied him silently. His mind was bursting with questions but he knew that it wouldn't be okay to ask them just yet. He turned to watch the fire and they both sipped tea in silence for some time.

"Hey, Levi?" Eren broke the silence.

"Hm."

"How old are you?"

"I'm thirty-two."

"You don't look thirty-two."

"Is that a compliment?"

The teen blinked. "Uh, I guess?"

"Shut up and drink your goddamn tea," Levi grumbled, bringing the cup to his mouth.

Eren saw a smile hidden behind the cup.

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm sorry, I couldn't resist the "drink your goddamn tea" line :))   
> Who can guess where it's from?


	4. Chapter 4

After that time when he'd first entered inside Levi's home, the man began to let him in on a daily basis. There was nothing to do in the garden and around the house anymore, and the days have grown colder.

Eren mostly sat on the rug in front of the fireplace, doing his homework or studying, while Levi either worked around the house or read one of the many books he had. Eren's visits became longer. At first he'd leave before dinner time, but lately Levi began preparing his meals earlier and then asked Eren to stay.

Not that he minded, honestly. Eren loved being around the hero, even though his parents began to worry that he'd wear out Levi's hospitality. But they didn't know the man. Eren was by now completely certain that Levi would have thrown him out the window if he didn't want him there. He surely wouldn't put up with him if he was such a hassle.

It made Eren strangely happy. Every time he ditched his friends in order to go to Levi, he'd feel bad for a short while, but as he approached Levi's home, the guilt would change into a strange bubbly feeling in his stomach which made him want to laugh out loud.

He was grateful that he had friends like Armin and Mikasa. So many times he ditched them for Levi, and still they didn't mind. He believed it was Armin's doing because the boy often understood things that other kids their age didn't. He saw on Eren that hanging out with the corporal did him good. Even his grades improved.

  

*****

 

Having good grades or not, schoolwork always doubled around November and Eren suddenly had too much to do. One November Tuesday, he sadly decided not to go to Levi's. Aside from studying for tests, he and Armin had an assignment that was due by the end of the week and they had to work on it together.

The work stretched out until Friday and by the end of the school day, Eren could barely wait to run to Levi. During those three days, he missed the warmth of the fireplace, and the rug – his special spot as Levi called it teasingly – and the smell of bergamot that always lingered around the house. He missed the tea that Levi made and the madeleine cookies that sometimes accompanied it.

When Eren finally arrived and knocked on Levi's door, he was so thrilled to be there that his face got flushed even before the man answered his door.

Levi was about to greet him and then blinked. "You ran?"

Eren huffed, the cold air stinging his overheated cheeks. "No, but I hurried," he grinned. "Hi."

"Hey," Levi opened the door wider and turned back inside. He seemed colder than usual, Eren noticed.

"Is everything alright," Eren blurted out the first thing that came to his mind. He followed inside, closed the door behind him and removed his shoes, as always. Levi liked a clean home. A _very_ clean home.

"Just peachy."

The boy stood awkwardly in the middle of the room, watching Levi as he continued to wash dishes.

"Er... Am I bothering you? I can leave if you want..."

Levi shrugged, with an unreadable expression on his face. Was he pissed?

"Are you angry at me? Did I do something?" Eren grew desperate. He wished that the man would just turn to look at him. It felt almost painful to be treated like that. He heard Levi sigh.

"No, kid. Just forget about it," he finally said, putting up a kettle and preparing two cups. The moment he saw that, Eren felt more at ease. He smiled and sat at the dining table, studying Levi as he moved around the kitchen. He had to stretch when he wanted to reach the top shelves or cupboards and Eren almost offered his help, but bit his tongue remembering the last time he did that.

_They were picking apples and Levi climbed the tree to reach higher branches. He still couldn't catch a few apples and Eren, not thinking at all, offered that he could climb up there instead and be able to reach. Instead of a reply, Levi wordlessly and very deliberately dropped the fruit on his head._

"What are you smiling about," Levi suddenly asked, jerking him out of his daydream.

"Ahh, nothing... I remembered how you assaulted me with apples."

Levi smirked, pouring the tea. Eren sniffed the air, taking in the aroma. "Hey, are there any of those cookies? Madeleine, was it?" He was a bit hungry, after all.

"No. I wasn't expecting you today."

Oh.

"I-I'm sorry..." Eren retreated to his insecure self all of the sudden. "Really, I'll leave if you don't want me here..."

"Idiot. I didn't say you're not welcome here. I said I wasn't expecting you today, after not coming for three days. How should I know when you'll show up?"

It dawned on Eren. That's why Levi was so cold to him. He was _sulking_.

"Ne, Levi... Did you miss--"

"Shut it!" Levi snapped, his eyebrow twitching, making Eren snicker into his hand.

The man turned to his kitchen and began to rummage through his cupboards and ice box, taking out flour, sugar, butter and eggs. When he prepared the baking pan, Eren realized that he'd be getting those cookies after all.

"Can I help you," he asked, standing next to Levi.

"Wash your hands first."

Eren did so, and then rolled up his sleeves. "Ready!"

Levi had him sift the flour and mix it with the butter. It wasn't the first time Eren did something in the kitchen, but he surely didn't know how to knead the dough. It ended with Levi grabbing his hands to teach him properly.

"You don't squish it, dammit. Gotta be gentle and firm at the same time. Ever gotten a massage?"

Eren blinked stupidly.

"Of course you haven't. What am I asking," Levi murmured more to himself than to the teen. They continued to work in silence until they've put the cookie pan into the oven.    

When Levi turned to look at him, he smiled and lifted a metal tray for Eren to see his reflection. He had flour on his nose and cheeks and now a blush as Levi decided to ruffle his hair. Thankfully, his hands were clean from dough; otherwise it would be a hassle to remove.

"I missed being here these last few days," Eren admitted.

"I..." Levi began, "I like having a routine."

"So... I messed up your routine?"

"Yeah. You messed it up when you appeared in my yard the first time. But when you kept coming every day, it became a new routine. You... You're not such a pain to have around, after all."

That was such a 'Levi' thing to say, Eren mused, smiling at the confession. It made him feel funny again, tickling inside his chest.

"Can I ask you something?"

"You just did," Levi deadpanned.

Eren huffed and ignored it. "Do you ever have visitors? Other than me, I mean."

It seemed to be a sour spot for the older man. "Have you ever seen someone other than yourself here?"

"Well, no..."

"Well, see?" Levi copied.

Eren suddenly remembered. "How about Erwin Smith-danchou? When he lectured at our school, he mentioned you and he seemed to know you?"

"Erwin... Erwin knew me, once," Levi sighed. "Come on, kid, just drop it."

"But why? Why don't you hang out with your friends?"

Eren didn't expect to be grabbed by his shirt and yanked closer. Levi pulled him down so their eyes were leveled and stared at him.

"I didn't _choose_ to be alone at first. Later, I did. Now I'm rather on my own. It doesn't concern you."

"It does," Eren grunted defiantly. "I'm your friend now, too."

Levi yanked him even closer, their noses almost touching. "No one asked you to be."

Eren felt a shiver down his back. He could feel Levi's breath on his lips and it irked him to no end how such a stupid thing like breathing could make his knees buckle. He felt threatened, but at the same time exhilarated. Almost as if he wanted to annoy Levi more just to see what he'd do next.

"You can say all you want, I'm not turning my back on you like they may have."

Levi's breath caught. He released the boy and shoved him away, collapsing onto a dining chair afterwards.

"Don't say those words..."

"I mean those words," Eren was stubborn. He sat down across the table from Levi. "I'm not leaving."

 

*****

 

Levi remained grim for the rest of the afternoon. They ate madeleine cookies in silence, and even though they were exquisite as always, they tasted like dust in Eren's mouth. He wanted to reach Levi. He wanted to know what made him like that. The man hadn't uttered a single word after their dispute and Eren knew this time that it wasn't about him. This wasn't the silent treatment. This wasn't sulking. It seemed like Levi wasn't even there with him, only an empty body that moved on its own.

Eren stayed much later than usual, just keeping Levi company. The tea went cold, there was nothing else to eat and it became harder to hide the sounds of his growling stomach. His squirming must have woken Levi out of his reveries and the man gave him a tired look.

"You should go now. It's late."

"Okay," Eren said softly. He put on his jacket and shoes and turned to Levi before he went outside. "I'll come again tomorrow."

Levi didn't say anything. He only stood up to escort Eren out.

"I'll come here," Eren repeated. "I promise."

A faintest shadow of a smile passed Levi's lips. "Okay."

"See you tomorrow," the teen smiled and walked out. Before the door closed, he heard Levi say 'goodnight, Eren'.

He said 'Eren'.

The boy squeezed his eyes shut and grinned, his chest fluttering.

 

 

 

 

 


	5. Chapter 5

Like he had promised, Eren showed up at Levi's home the next day. It was a fairly cold day and he was surprised to find Levi outside. Coming closer, he understood why, smiling excitedly.

"I haven't had roasted chestnuts in like, ages," Eren exclaimed, waving a hello to his grumpy friend. He could call Levi his friend already, right?

"Since last autumn?" Levi smirked, scoring the last few chestnuts with a sharp pocket knife.

"Yeah," Eren drawled, grinning. He couldn't help his boyish enthusiasm around the older man. He cleared his throat and nudged Levi's side. "See, I'm here, like I promised."

"I see. Look... I feel bad for, well, for yesterday. You're curious and your mouth runs faster than your brain, but it's not your fault."

"That's... That's okay," the teen looked down at his hands. "I'm sorry I pressed you with my questions."

"Like I said, not your fault. You don't know what it's like, and I'm glad you don't," Levi eyed him. "Put down your backpack and come stand closer to the fire."

Eren stared at the makeshift fire pit, which was just a shallow hole in the ground surrounded by a few rows of bricks. "You built this today?"

"No big deal. I'm guessing this isn't the only time we'll roast chestnuts, so I might as well have a hole in my garden for a month or two." He overturned a bowl of chestnuts into a large cast iron skillet and held it over the fire, looking bored.

That was the most common look he had, Eren mused, smiling to himself.

The minutes passed in a comfortable silence, the nuts crackling and the familiar scent wafting into Eren's nostrils. It was getting chilly outside, but standing near the fire made it bearable.

"Wanna eat inside?" Levi asked once the chestnuts were done.

"Yeah, I kinda do," the teen admitted, rubbing his hands together. It was getting dark anyway.

Levi carried the skillet and led Eren inside. "Butter and cinnamon or plain?"

"I like them plain," Eren smiled, sitting down while Levi searched for a pot mat.

"So," Levi joined him and snagged a nut from the skillet, peeling it quickly. "While I'm in the good mood, you can ask me stuff... You know, the stuff you're curious about."

Eren mimicked the action, hissing as he burned his fingers. "Crap," he yelped, juggling the chestnut, almost dropping it. Levi took it from him and effortlessly handled it.

"How do you do that?"

Levi shrugged and turned his calloused palms towards Eren. No wonder heat didn't bother him.

"Because... Because of the blades?" Eren almost reached out and touched the small but powerful hands. Almost, but he didn't.

"Yeah," was the short reply and Eren hadn't expected more clarification, but he got it nonetheless. "At first, though? My hands were bleeding every day when I enlisted, and that was from the practice only. My blisters had blisters. Once I got to kill actual titans, my skin was so hard that I could handle anything. I guess my hands are just gonna stay that way, even though I haven't picked up a blade in nearly six years now."

Eren just stared. He really wasn't hoping for such a long explanation. In fact, he believed it was the longest he'd heard Levi speak.

"Wow," he said stupidly.

"Wow," Levi snorted and handed Eren a peeled chestnut. "Here."

Eren accepted it, but then took a new one, determined to do it himself. They weren't too hot to handle anymore but it was still uncomfortable. Several minutes and a dozen chestnuts later, he found Levi watching him intently.

"What is it?"

"You have something on your cheek," Levi squinted at him.

Not thinking, Eren rubbed at his left cheek.

"No, your other cheek."

"What is it?"

He stared at Levi who was now making a strange face, barely succeeding to keep his mouth in a straight line. That was seconds before he started laughing, the unfamiliar sound nearly startling Eren.

"Levi, what?!"

The older man composed himself, but remained smiling. "Take a look at your hands."

Eren did and blinked. His fingers were black from the charred chestnut peels and that's when he realized he'd just smeared it all over his face.

"You're terrible!" He squeaked and laughed loudly.

"Here, let me help," Levi reached towards his face, his fingers equally messy.

"Noo!!" Eren smacked his hand away, giggling all the while. Seeing a genuine smile on Levi's lips, Eren's laughter died down. He wasn't certain, but he felt privileged to see that. His stomach fluttering with an unfamiliar emotion, Eren leaned forward.

"You should laugh more often," he admitted and then busied himself with peeling another nut.

"I should," Levi nodded, somewhat pensive. "You're the first person who made me laugh in years."

"You made yourself, teasing me like that," Eren huffed but smiled. "How come you tolerate me? You looked like you didn't want anything to do with people when we met."

"You're... Different. You're not tainted."

"Tainted?"

"With hypocrisy and resentment. You've barely lived, you're not corrupted."

Eren's smile fell. "What happened to you, Levi?"

The older man stood up and went to wash his hands in the kitchen sink, motioning for Eren to do the same, plus his face. He then led him to the fireplace and settled on the sofa, while Eren took his place on the soft fur rug. He felt like a kid who'd be getting an ancient story about his favorite hero.

"I just want you to know it's hard for me to talk about this."

"I know," Eren said. "I appreciate it."

"The humanity was on the verge of extinction. The majority of people wished to stay sealed behind the walls, thinking they're safe. They didn't care about anything else. The merchants only cared about profit. Very few people cared about freedom. I've found my people, or so to say, who believed in freedom, like me. It was the Scouting Legion. Those bastards from Military police only wanted to serve there to be safe, and the Stationary Guard as well. Before titans attacked, they were a bunch of drunkards hanging around the cities and gambling all day. You asked what happened to me. I wanted to save the humanity, of course. The same humanity that mocked us every time we were going outside of the walls."

"People mocked you?!" Eren couldn't, just couldn't imagine that. Why would anyone mock an army that's fighting for the humanity?

"They mocked, booed, taunted, yelled at us. They were saying that military ate all the food, and now that we were nice and fattened, we go out to act as titan bait. That we're idiots to even try. When we would go back, all bloodied and beaten, our friends dead or screaming in agony... They mocked us again... That we just died and died and never did anything useful."

"Oh my god," Eren shivered. It was painful to hear all that and he could only imagine how hard it was for Levi to have lived through that.

"I can't tell you how we've won, it's classified. But when we did finally win, people celebrated."

Levi's eyes grew cold, his words oozing with hatred. "The same people who used to spit in my face - they now pat my back and call me a hero."

Eren stared at Levi's hands. They sat in silence, the teen not daring to make a sound.

"Human nature is vile and deceitful. I often wonder what the whole point was." Levi finally said and cast a look on Eren, expecting a comment or something from the boy.

"Not everyone's like that," Eren convinced. "You are a hero, Levi."

"Yeah right, to you maybe."

"To me definitely," the teen gave a reassuring smile.

Levi's features somewhat softened. "It would've been interesting if you had been there with me. With everyone. I dare to say it would have been fun."

"And what would you make me do, Levi-heichou?" Eren laughed lightly, but immensely glad for Levi's comment.

The corner of Levi's mouth twitched. "I'd make you mop the floors. Every day." He stood up and ruffled Eren's hair. "But now, help me clean up that mess on the table and we'll make a real dinner."

Eren snickered quietly, feeling his heart swell at the playful banter and the way Levi touched him. He followed, wishing he could somehow keep that warm hand in his hair.

 

 

 

 

 

 


	6. Chapter 6

Another busy week came along, but this time Eren remembered to mention that he wouldn't be able to drop by Levi's house. The older man had only shrugged in response, but he seemed pleased to know. They've agreed to see each other on a Friday, after Eren's tests would have ended.

As much as he was happy hanging out with Armin and the rest of the guys, it felt empty. Eren felt like an ass. He had so many friends and he acted like an ungrateful moron, pining over Levi. He'd dreamed about those deep blue eyes, gazing upon him on several occasions. The dreams got more intense, but he would never remember what happened and he was always left feeling weepy when he'd wake up.

He felt some kind of longing he couldn't quite place, never having felt that way before. It was becoming concerning, especially during the week he'd spend without seeing Levi. Eren would catch himself daydreaming instead of working on his homework or studying for the tests. He wasn't especially hungry either, leaving his dinners half-eaten, earning Carla's concerned looks.

 

*****

 

One evening as Eren was already in his room getting ready for bed, he'd overheard his mother speaking to his father, expressing her concern and wondering if their son was maybe in love, since Grisha hadn't noticed anything physically wrong with him.

In love...

Eren flopped on his bed and lay on his back; the words making him feel like there was a ton of bricks upon his chest. His dad had a few 'talks' with him, but those were mostly about male and female physiology – what would one expect from a doctor – not so much about feelings. He was advised not to bother any girl for sex until he was ready to marry her, and if they couldn't wait until marriage, Eren was informed what to do so he wouldn't put her in a delicate condition.

The talks were uncomfortable for Eren, because he couldn't bring himself to even imagine kissing a girl, not to mention touching a girl _there_ , but he never said anything about it to his father fearing that he wasn't normal, especially because he had seen Jean and Connie slobbering all over girls. Maybe he was a late bloomer. Maybe it would pass soon. Maybe one day he would find a girl and want to kiss her. Or maybe not.

He _would_ kiss Levi.

The sudden thought made him gasp and clutch the fabric of his shirt above his heart. It would feel good to kiss Levi. He recalled the feeling of Levi's hand in his hair, almost making himself cry because of the ache in his heart. He would touch Levi. He would touch him everywhere.

Those thoughts weren't making him feel uncomfortable, or icky. On the contrary – they made him flush and tremble. They made him stiffen in his pajama bottoms.

Not being able to resist, Eren reached down and squeezed his burning need through the fabric. It throbbed in sync with his heartbeat, almost making him groan. He wished it was Levi's hand instead of his own. He wished that Levi wanted to do that to him.

Sliding his free hand under his sleeping shirt, he splayed it flat against his stomach, smoothing upwards, imagining that it was Levi doing it. He would caress him gently and slowly like that, causing him to arch his body into the touch.

Eren whimpered quietly, biting his lower lip, the grip on his hard flesh tightening. One finger touched a nipple, causing him to shiver. Blinking up at the ceiling, he pictured Levi on top of him, smirking at him, his eyes glimmering softly in the darkness. Touching him.

A sigh escaped him while he rolled his hips. He wanted to hear Levi sighing and moaning. He wanted to call Levi's name.

He mouthed a silent 'Levi', which caused an instant reaction, goose-bumps rising all over his back and thighs. It made his belly coil and his arousal throb.

"Levi, Levi," he whispered into the darkened room, back arching in urgent need. "L-Levi," he clasped a hand over his mouth not to make noise as he shook violently and spilled himself into his grip, soaking through the pajama bottoms. He whined behind his hand, eyes rolling back from pleasure.

It had never been that intense.

Eren panted, still trembling in the aftermath. He felt like crying. There was no Levi beside him; he was cold and alone in his bed. Grabbing a tissue, he wiped his mess off of him and huddled under the blankets. Friday couldn't have come sooner.

 

*****

 

"You sure you don't wanna go to the fair with us?" Mikasa asked, clearly not very fond of Eren's enthusiasm to go to Levi's. They were in front of their school, ready to go in opposite directions. "Everyone will be there. Even Annie agreed to go..."

"I'm sure. Besides, it lasts for a week. I'll go some other day."

She didn't seem convinced.

"Oh come on, leave him be," Jean groaned, tugging his girlfriend's arm. "He's got a military fetish. I wouldn't be surprised if he's crushing on his general," the blond teased.

"He's not a general," Eren huffed.

"Oh, but you _are_ crushing?" Jean quipped and then yelped as he earned a sharp pinch from Mikasa.

"Stop bickering!" She turned to Eren and gave him a gentle look. "If you change your mind, you know where to find us, okay?"

"Sure," he smiled. She was like a sister he never had.

"Eren, can I talk to you for a sec?" Armin asked quietly. Eren nodded and stayed with the boy as Mikasa left with Jean, still scolding him for teasing her best friend.

"What's up?"

"Please don't be mad at me, I can't help but notice... Are you really... You know, crushing on this guy?"

Eren's mouth worked for a few seconds. A part of him wanted to admit all the confused feelings that coursed through his mind, while the other part was scared and embarrassed at the same time. A man's affinity towards another man wasn't something that a majority of citizens approved and it was enough to make a fifteen-year-old boy fear that he wasn't normal.

"I... I don't know," Eren finally sighed.

"So, it's not a clear 'no', huh?" Armin concluded, a soft expression on his face. "You know you can trust me. You're my best friend."

Eren smiled. He knew that already. "Thanks... And," he scratched the back of his head. "To be honest, I've never had feelings like this before. I just wanna be around him. We don't even have to talk, just looking at him, or knowing he's there makes me happy. I can't describe it," Eren laughed, a bit embarrassed.

"I see," Armin nodded and smiled. "I'm happy if you are. Just be careful, okay?"

"Okay," Eren agreed and squeezed Armin's shoulder in a thankful manner before they waved goodbye and Armin joined Mikasa and Jean, while Eren went towards Levi's home.

 

*****

 

Entering into the garden, Eren heard something strange inside Levi's house. As he approached the front door, he heard an excited female voice and loud giggling.

That was new.

Wondering if he should knock or just turn back and go home, Eren was startled as the front door suddenly opened. There was a tall woman, wearing the standard military uniform, her brown hair tied back into a messy ponytail and a pair of glasses adorning her face.

They stared at each other for a few seconds, before the woman pointed at him and gasped.

"You must be Eren!"

"Um, yeah?"

"Oh my god, Levi, he's _adorable_ ," she squealed, turning to look at the man behind her.

Seeing Levi behind the tall woman, Eren leaned to the side and gave him a shy smile. "Hi..."

"Hey," Levi looked annoyed but not terribly so. "Eren, this is Hanji. Hanji, Eren." He muttered.

Hanji immediately squeezed Eren's hand and shook it, cooing at him. "I'm so glad to meet you! I don't know what you did to this grouch, but please do it more!"

"Shut. Up. Woman." Levi seethed, looking as if he was ready to strangle her.

"Oh please," she waved him off, turning her focus back to Eren. "You cutie, you're a treasure! This is the first time he invited me over in years! And I get the feeling I should be thanking you. He told me all about you—ow!" She yelped as Levi kicked her in the shin.

"Stop talking!"

"Ah-hah, feels like the old you is almost back," she grinned and hugged the shorter man to her chest. The view almost made Eren laugh out loud, seeing Levi pressed to her bosom, blinking and frowning with murderous intentions.

"You can let go of me now..."

"I will, but you have to promise me it won't be another three years before you agree to hang out with me again!"

"Fine, it'll be two years," Levi sighed and she laughed loudly, letting him go.

"I'll leave you two boys alone now," she chirped, pinching Eren's cheek. "Bye-bye!"

"Bye-bye, shoo, don't ever come back," Levi groused, but Eren could see a smirk on his lips.

 

*****

 

"She seems nice," the boy said after Levi slammed the door shut behind Hanji.

"She's a pain in the ass," Levi sighed, his words sounding affectionate. "And it's your fault I invited her here."

"Mine?!"

"Yeah," the older man chuckled. "You couldn't come over this week and, well... I guessed I could use some company."

"I'm glad you had an old friend over," the teen said softly.

"I feel better now that you're here," Levi admitted quickly and turned towards the kitchen before Eren could see his face.

"Levi..."

"What," the man began to wash the dishes. Hanji had obviously been over for lunch, judging by the plates and cutlery.

The warm feeling mixed with nervousness fluttered inside Eren's stomach. He approached the sink and stood beside Levi, reaching with a trembling hand to a plate that Levi just rinsed. Their fingers brushed and Eren almost choked as he gripped the plate.

"I-I'll help... You wash, I'll dry," he croaked, hoping he wouldn't drop and crash anything.

"Thanks," Levi nudged him with his shoulder, sending shivers down Eren's spine.

"Do you want to go to the fair with me tomorrow?" The teen blurted out and then cringed when Levi stared at him.

Several emotions took turns on Levi's face as he observed the teen; surprise, mild confusion, irritation and then it was back to normal.

"Okay."

Eren felt like he might faint. "Really?"

"Yeah. If you want me to go with you, I'll go."

"I do," Eren smiled bashfully.

"I'll go," Levi smirked.

"Okay," the boy laughed.

"Fine." Levi chuckled.

"Fine," Eren half whispered, grinning.

He had no idea what to do with all these feelings inside of him. He wanted to laugh, cry and scream; he wanted to embrace Levi, jump up and down with him, dance around the house, kiss him and never let him go - all at the same time. Were all those feelings elements of love? If so, Eren was completely, head-over-heels, terribly and desperately in love with Levi.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


	7. Chapter 7

The next day, Eren could hardly wait to meet up with Levi. The older man had said that he'd wait for him at the town square, next to the bookshop. In the past ten years, after the humanity had won against the titans, a vast amount of books have been reprinted, now no longer forbidden. Levi wanted to take the opportunity to browse for some books, while Eren agreed happily and decided to buy Armin an early Christmas present. He'd have to go on his own some other time to pick something out for Levi, though.

As he approached the bookshop, his mouth dropped open when he saw Levi. Eren was so used to seeing him in regular slacks and shirt, that he was shocked speechless at the military uniform. It was nothing strange to see the veterans strolling around town in their uniforms, but no one looked as good as Levi, or at least Eren believed so.

He noticed that there weren't any straps going around Levi's legs or torso. He practically looked like a recruit from the pictures in Eren's textbooks, the only difference being the 'wings of freedom' patches on his jacket.

A few more steps and Eren was standing in front of Levi, raising his hand in a greeting gesture, smiling bashfully.

"I hope you're not waiting for too long," Eren managed to say after Levi's smirk melted a bit of his nervousness away.

"Nah, I just got here a few minutes ago," Levi took a step towards the bookshop. "Shall we? You pick the next destination."

"Okay," Eren grinned and followed.

They've separated in the bookstore, each looking for something else, until they've finally met at the counter after ten minutes. Eren peeked at the few books that Levi decided to buy, but not recognizing any.

"Did you find something for your friend," Levi asked.

"Uh, yeah," Eren handed the book to Levi and then almost squeaked as the man put it on top of his own pile.

"It's on me," Levi informed, looking amused by Eren's panicking.

"But you don't have to..."

"You're right, I don't _have_ to," Levi gave him _the look_ and Eren dropped the subject instantly, chewing on his lip to stop himself from smiling too much.

 

*****

 

They ended up walking slowly through the fair, browsing through the numerous stands that offered different foods, items, herbs and jewelry. The traders liked to brag about their stuff if it came from the 'new territory', as they called it.

Still being so young, Eren could barely mask his amazement when they've stumbled upon a stand that was full of seashells of different shapes, sizes and colors. He was nearly obsessed with anything having to do with seas and oceans, so the seashells and conches were no exception.

"Oh wow," he gasped, staring at the collection.

"You like these, huh," Levi asked, eyeing the shells suspiciously. "You do realize they're remains of dead... things?"

"Shut up," Eren giggled, lightly shoving the older man. "Don't ruin them for me. They're pretty."

"Pretty," Levi repeated, shaking his head. "You're like a magpie, I swear."

The old merchant lady was giving them an amused look.

"Why don't you pick one and I'll throw in another one for free," she said, smiling at Eren. "For your sweetheart."

Eren blinked at the offer, confused. "My sweetheart?"

The woman quickly glanced at Levi and then winked at Eren.

"O-oh, we're... Ah, he's..." he sputtered, embarrassment burning his ears even though it was really cold outside. "I'll think about it," Eren babbled and hurried away from the stand, leaving Levi to catch up to him.

He went to cool his head at another, more boring stand, and stared at the items until Levi joined him.

"Hey."

"Hi," Eren managed out, still awfully mortified.

"Here," Levi said and poked him in the arm with something. Eren's eyes widened at the beautiful brown and white striped conch.

"Levi..."

"The lady insisted," Levi shrugged and shoved the conch into Eren's jacket pocket. He fished out another one from his own pocket. "I got the same, uh, dead thing," he smirked.

Eren laughed lightly and there was a moment between them. He felt his heart pounding wildly and Levi looked like he was about to say something, when an unfamiliar voice interrupted.

"Levi-heichou, is that you?"

As Levi turned to look at the man who approached them, Eren saw that all the color had drained from his face.

"Mr. Ral..."

"How are you, heichou?" Mr. Ral shook his hand, his face pleasant, but his eyes old and tired.

"Please, sir, just call me Levi... I'm... I'm okay. And you?"

Levi looked like he might be sick and Eren unconsciously took a step closer. He wondered who that older man was.

"I manage somehow," the older man said softly. "I was worried about you. You disappeared, just like that..."

"Yeah well," Levi fidgeted uncomfortably. "I wanted to get away from everything."

"I understand. You deserve peace and quiet, my dear lad," Mr. Ral gave a genuine smile and patted Levi's shoulder. "I'm glad to see you are well." He then nodded at Eren and went about his way, a nostalgic look on his face.

Levi watched him go, trembling slightly. By some twisted coincidence, a few people had heard Mr. Ral talking to him and were now looking in his direction, recognizing the war hero.

" _Levi-heichou!_ "

" _It's the hero!_ "

" _Levi-heichou!_ "

Eren reached out to put a hand on Levi's shoulder, but as he touched him, Levi jumped as if he was burned, staring at Eren. He reminded the boy of a caged animal, eyes cold and narrow; dangerous. Levi began to hyperventilate as more people surrounded them.

Suddenly there was a tight grip around Eren's wrist.

"Eren, get me out of here before I hurt someone."

The boy immediately began to run, not looking back. All he needed to feel was that tight hold on his wrist as he was pushing through the crowded fair. Eyeing the corners of the streets, he finally took a turn into a blind alley and stopped there, panting for air.

Levi let his hand go and stumbled further into the darkened alley. After a few seconds, Eren heard him vomiting and coughing.

"Levi," he called, going after him. He found him leaning against a wall, still fighting the nausea.

"Disgusting..."

"I'm sorry I made you go to the fair," Eren began miserably.

"Stop it right there," Levi raised a hand, slowly stepping away from his mess. "You didn't force me into anything. I wanted to go with you."

Eren nodded, gazing at his feet. "Who was that man?"

"It's a long story..."

"I have time," the boy countered.

"You have to go home. It's pretty late."

"No. I'll go with you. You're still pale."

Levi cast him a look. "I can probably kick you hard enough that you'll be flying to your home, into your mama's lap."

"I'll take my chances," Eren smiled, seeing the threat as a sign that Levi was feeling a bit more like himself again.

 

*****

 

When they've finally arrived to Levi's home, Eren got comfortable in his 'spot' in front of the fireplace while the older man rushed inside the bathroom to brush his teeth.

While he waited, Eren pulled the conch out of his pocket and examined it in front of the soft glow. It was the size of his closed fist and he suddenly remembered the words from one of the books he and Armin read when they were little. If you pressed a seashell to your ear, you could hear the ocean.

Eren did exactly that and almost giggled when he heard the whooshing sound.

He also heard a deep chuckle behind his back. A bit embarrassed, he removed the shell from his ear as Levi approached to sit down on the couch, a pleasant minty smell wafting through the air around him.

"Are you feeling better?" Eren asked.

"Yeah."

"Will you talk to me now?"

"Shh, not yet," Levi let his head fall back against the couch. "Give me that thing," he pointed at the seashell. "I've left mine in the bedroom."

When Eren handed the shell to Levi, the man pressed it to his ear without hesitation. He smiled. "This is nice," he murmured.

"And what should I listen to now," Eren teased lightly.

"Oh. Well, go to the bedroom, my jacket is on the bed. I don't wanna get up now."

Eren did as he was told, a little excited since he'd never seen Levi's bedroom before. He entered the room, looking around. There wasn't much to see in the light of an oil lamp, but he managed to notice that the bed was huge and flawlessly arranged.  

Not wanting to nose around too much, he found the shell in Levi's jacket and hurried out of the room. As he circled around the couch, he found Levi sound asleep on it, his hand slack but still somehow holding the conch against his ear.

Levi looked so peaceful, so beautiful. Eren wondered what darkness was hiding inside that head. He gently took the conch from Levi and set it on the small coffee table. Taking one of the novels that Levi had bought earlier that evening, Eren sat next to Levi, instead of his regular place on the rug. Blushing a bit, he cautiously took Levi's hand and held it in his own as he started reading the book, hoping that he wouldn't find out.

A couple of hours later, Eren also drifted to sleep, Levi's head resting against his shoulder and his fingers still gently interlaced with Levi's.   

 

 

 

  


	8. Chapter 8

When Eren had woken up on Sunday, it was still slightly dark. He could see the first lights of dawn through the windows of Levi's living space. He blinked and his chest fluttered, remembering how he had fallen asleep. At the moment, he was alone on the sofa and unusually warm and comfortable. Coming to his senses slowly, Eren noticed a large soft duvet wrapped around him, and a matching pillow under his head. Those weren't there the previous night.

He thought he smelled tea and bergamot in the air.

"Levi?" Eren murmured softly, sitting up. He found the older man sitting at the dining table, watching him and sipping tea. "How long have you been up?"

"For a while."

"Couldn't sleep?" The boy squirmed on the sofa, wrapping the duvet around himself.

"I woke up because I was cold. But then, it's nearly dawn so I might as well get up," Levi shrugged and took another sip. "You can go back to sleep if you want."

"No, I..."

Eren was feeling kind of embarrassed. First of all, he had just spent the night in Levi's home without actually asking if he was welcome. The second thing that made him want to hide under the cover was the fact that he held Levi's hand probably for most of the night and what if Levi had woken up with him _still_ clutching his hand? The third thing? He never told his parents he wouldn't sleep at home.

Eren blanched. His mother was certainly furious! Carla wasn't one of those mothers who would fuss too much over their children. No, Carla was loving but strict, and she wouldn't hold back whenever he did something that required a good ear-pulling.

Spending the night outside of his home without letting his parents know _was_ worth of a good ear-pulling or two. And probably some yelling. And what if they banned him from seeing Levi?

"You look like you're gonna shit yourself. Or faint. Or both," Levi noticed with a small smirk.

Eren flushed from the uncouth way the other man was teasing him. "N-no, just... I'm gonna get in trouble. My parents have no idea where I've spent the night."

Levi frowned. "That is actually my fault," he muttered, looking pissed at himself. "I shouldn't have listened to you last night. I should've sent you home..."

"You know why I stayed!" Eren quickly stood up from the sofa.

"Yes, I know," Levi's gaze pierced him. "That's exactly why I shouldn't have let you."

"What are you talking about?" Eren's heart suddenly started to ache. "W-what I meant was..."

"You stayed because I flipped out and you wanted to know why."

"Yes..." Eren began and then frowned. "No! That's not the only reason."

The teen winced when Levi suddenly stood up from the table and strode towards him.

"What's the other reason?" He asked, gazing up at Eren and invading his personal space.

"B-because... because..."

' _Because I can't stay away from you. Because I want to be with you all the time, I want to look at you, listen to you. Because I want to know everything about you. Because I love you..._ '

Eren's lips trembled. He couldn't. He couldn't say all those things he meant. Levi would think he was crazy. He broke the eye contact and stared at his feet.

"Because I was worried... I wanted to be sure you'd be okay," he nearly gritted out.  

A low chuckle made him look at Levi again. With an almost gentle expression on his face, he was looking up at Eren and smiling softly. "You're... such an airhead."

"Huh?"

Levi reached up and took hold of the lock of hair that was falling over Eren's forehead, tugging gently and making the boy's heart throb. "Come on. Let's eat breakfast and then I'll go with you to apologize to your mother for keeping you overnight. It will probably save your scrawny ass, since I'm the mighty hero," Levi rolled his eyes, making Eren laugh a little.

 

******

 

"Eren Jaeger, you've got some explaining to do!" Carla's voice boomed the moment Eren opened the door to his home, making him cover his ears in expectance of some pulling.   

"What were you thinking going off like that! You're only _fifteen_ ," she went on.

"Mom," he tried, making an awkward face.

"Don't 'mom' me now, young man!"

"Mom! Meet Levi."

"What?" She stared as the corporal showed up from behind Eren.

"Pleased to meet you, Mrs. Jaeger. I believe an apology from my part is in order."

"Um," she cocked her head quizzically. "Pleased to meet you too, corporal. What do you mean apology?"

Levi smirked at Eren and took a step inside the small house. "It's my fault that Eren stayed the night. We went to the fair last night but then I started to feel ill and your son helped me home and then stayed to make sure I was alright."

"Oh," Carla blushed.

"So, I just wanted to say that you have a great son. He's very kind."

That did it. The anger completely melted from Carla's face and she turned to Eren. "Honey, I had no idea..." She then turned again to Levi. "But you are feeling better now? You should stay for lunch! Or I'll just send Eren back to your house if you're still not feeling well."

"No, no," Levi chuckled. "I'm fine. I must have eaten something that didn't agree with me. But I couldn't stay, really," he was already turning to leave.

"Wait, Levi..." Eren stopped him. He didn't want him to go yet. He wouldn't be able to see him until the next Thursday or Friday. "Please stay for lunch."

Eren squirmed a little when Carla gave him a strange look, a mix of surprise and interest.

Levi shook his head at him. He turned to Carla and gave a polite smirk. "Maybe some other time, thank you. I already have other plans. I would stay, otherwise." 

"Of course," Carla returned the smile. "Eren will let you know."

Levi said goodbye while Carla escorted him outside, leaving Eren behind. The boy watched him go and caught a look from the older man. Levi's blue eyes were piercing into his soul, looking at him in a strange manner – the same way like the day before, after Levi had given him the seashell. And like that morning when Levi had gently pulled on his bangs. The glance ended when Levi blinked and Eren felt like he had lost a piece of his heart.

 

*****

 

When his mother came back into the kitchen, Eren was still standing right where she left him, with probably a pathetic look on his face – that much he knew.

"What is it with the face, Eren", Carla asked suspiciously. It seemed like he wasn't safe from his mother's scrutinizing eyes just yet.

"Nothing, mom," the boy sighed. He _was_ disappointed but why would he have to admit it?

"Eren, it seems to me that you've grown pretty close to the corporal. Am I right?"

"We're friends," Eren murmured. "I just thought that he'd stay."

"Listen, Eren," Carla started a bit reluctantly. "I know he's your hero. He's everybody's hero, that's for sure. But, you know, he is a grown man. Maybe you shouldn't hang around him all the time. You have other friends your age, and I'm sure he has, too."

"What are you saying?" Eren's voice trembled. "That I'm bothering him?"

"No, honey, I'm sure he'd let you know if you were. What I'm trying to say is..." she paused, searching for words. "You've become attached to him a bit too much. I don't want to see you hurt."

"Why would I get hurt? Levi would never hurt me! I know you don't know that but I do!"

"I'm not saying _he_ would! Your feelings--"

"Are my own," Eren interrupted angrily. He huffed, really trying not to yell at his mother. "Just... Just don't. I don't want to talk about this."

"Eren," Carla tried, but the teen hurried into his room.

He couldn't listen to that. He could feel that his mother was on to something, and he couldn't stand it. If she really knew about his feelings... Levi was _seventeen_ years older than him. He had been fighting for the humanity for two whole years when Eren was born.

"Oh my god," Eren whimpered into his hands.

His mother was right. Levi probably only saw a brat in him. An awkward, lanky, fifteen year old brat, who just happened to be there when he needed him.

But even that was enough for Eren. He knew it was torture, but just being with Levi... Just hearing him talk, or watching him cook or clean...

The boy flopped on his bed and hugged a pillow, feeling the tears gather in the corners of his eyes. If only Levi would hold him like that. Only for one short moment...


	9. Chapter 9

Eren stayed gloomy for the rest of the week, avoiding his mother's concerned looks and his father's attempts to talk. He had a feeling that they knew perfectly well what was going on inside of his mind and his heart. Armin did his best to help him out with school projects because he had finally lost his interest while longing for Levi. Doing well in school was the only thing that kept his parents content enough not to bother him about his miserable demeanor.

Mikasa noticed and came to her own conclusions about Eren's and Levi's relationship. She did not approve and Eren didn't bother to convince her that there was (sadly) nothing going on between him and Levi.

By Friday after school, Eren was so depressed, having thought through every single conversation he'd had with Levi, that he weighed his options – to go to Levi, or go home. Usually, he wouldn't even think about it and would happily run to Levi.

But now... Even though he thought it was enough to just be near Levi, Eren feared that it would show in the end – that Levi would find out about his feelings and ban him from coming over ever again. That was the worst that could happen. The best, though? The best would be if Levi returned his feelings.

The mere idea made Eren's stomach flutter. If only... If only. Ignoring his friends' worried questions and Jean's teasing, he made up his mind.

 

*****

 

It took him longer than usual to come home because he spent the whole time thinking if he'd chosen the right thing. Would Levi get upset again when he didn't show up? Was he even expecting him?  

"You're home?" Carla asked, somewhat surprised.

Eren opened his mouth to say something, but his wit failed him. He grumbled instead and made to pass his mother and go to his room, but Carla gripped his arm firmly enough to make him stay.

"Sit down Eren," she steered him towards the dining table.

He slouched over in his seat and stared at the wooden surface while his mother leaned back against the sink and studied him.

"If you flee into your room I'm going to follow you this time. Please tell me what's troubling you. I have my own idea but I want to hear it from you."

The teen glanced at her and wrapped his arms around his midsection. "What's your idea, mom?"

She gave him a soft look. "You're attracted to Levi-heichou."

Eren grimaced, not even trying to deny. If he'd been sad before, now he was completely depressed.

"Oh, Eren," Carla sighed. "It hurts me to see you like this... But, you know, you'll just have to endure and forget. This infatuation... I'm sure it's only hero worship and puppy love."

"What? No," the boy stared at his mother. Was she dismissing his true feelings, just like that?

"Eren, you're way too young to understand love!" She raised her voice in a distressed manner.

"How can you even say that? You can't tell me how to feel!" Eren stood up, the chair screeching over the floor.

"You have to snap out of it, he's too old for you! It's pointless! You're just tormenting yourself when he's never going to feel the same way you do!"

The last statement felt like a knife through Eren's heart.

Levi would never feel the same...  

 

*****

 

He ran. Not even realizing what his body was doing, Eren ran ignoring Carla's calls. The pain in his chest was suffocating, making his eyes burn with tears. There was only one place where he wanted to go.

He almost didn't notice the rain that was pouring heavily, soaking his clothes, sticking his hair to his face. Even his shoes got soaked through by the time he'd arrived to Levi's house. As it was already getting dark, he saw a soft glow from the window and felt relieved to know that Levi was in fact home.  

The door opened almost immediately after he'd knocked. Levi was staring at him like he'd grown a second head and a pair of wings.

"What happened to you? Get inside," the man ushered him into his home.

Eren knew his face was a mess. The rain had mixed with tears and snot and he was embarrassed to stand like that in front of Levi. He made a motion to wipe his face into his sleeve, but Levi stopped him, making a horrified face.

"Don't you dare! Wait, I'll get you something." Levi hurried into his bathroom and soon came back with a roll of toilet paper and a few towels.

Giving Eren a concerned look, he handed him the items and then crouched down to untie the laces on his shoes, making him toe them off.

The teen wiped his nose but otherwise just stood there, shivering from the cold rain as well from the emotions running wild through his mind. Levi was taking care of him...

Levi stood up with a grunt and looked him in the eye. "You're gonna have to take these off," he motioned towards his clothing. "And take a hot bath, or else you'll get sick by this time tomorrow."

Eren made a meek grunt and a weak nod.

"You can tell me what happened if you want. But I won't pester you about it," Levi informed, leading the way towards the bathroom.

"I... I'll just wait here then, while you heat the water..."

Levi smirked. "No need for that. I have running warm water." He plugged the large shower/tub and turned on the faucets.

Eren stared. "How?" He'd used Levi's bathroom a few times, but never noticed anything while washing his hands.

"Hanji's witchcraft... I mean science," he chuckled. "She constructed a water-heating system and attached this shower and bath to it. One of the best things she's come up with, honestly. I've had it for years, still didn't blow up or anything."

Eren managed a tiny smile. "Still?"

Levi snorted and glanced at the quickly filling tub. "Strip."

The boy blushed furiously. While Levi poured some kind of scented powder into the water, Eren began to take his clothes off, nearly getting tangled into his own shirt as it was soaked and sticking to his body. He glanced at the bath and found rich foam floating over the water, smelling invitingly.

Levi discreetly turned his gaze away as if to show Eren to not be embarrassed. The teen was thankful. Having Levi see him naked on top of everything, he probably wouldn't survive the day.

Sinking into the bath made him groan. It was _almost_ too hot, it smelled wonderful and he finally stopped shivering. The foam was hiding his body from Levi's view and he felt himself relaxing slowly.

The older man obviously had the same idea as he turned back towards Eren and then sat down on the closed toilet lid.

"So, wanna talk? You came later than usual. I thought you won't show up at all."

"I'm sorry," Eren whispered.

"I wasn't asking for an apology," Levi said softly. "You're troubled. If there's something I can do for you..."

"It's not..." the boy began, "It's complicated."

"You bein' a smartass?" Levi scowled at him. "Nothing's that complicated. You can only make it seem that way and then you have excessive shit to deal with when you're not supposed to."

"Why didn't you stay for lunch on Sunday?" Eren suddenly asked.

"I thought it wouldn't be a smart thing to do."

"Why?" Eren was insistent.   

Levi sighed. "After you've spent the night here, and then me showing up at your parents' house... It would give your mother the wrong idea about you and me."

"Oh. Right," the teen hissed petulantly.

"Will you tell me what happened? Why did you run to me crying?" Levi asked, ignoring Eren's tone of voice.

"I didn't know where else to go. I kinda had a fight with my mom, and then I just ran away when she said--" he stopped himself before saying too much. But unfortunately, he knew that Levi wasn't going to let it slide.

"What did your mother say?"

What was the easiest thing he could say?

"She said that you're too old for me to hang out with all the time." It _was_ the truth, but not the one that made him run.

"Well, she's right..." At the painful look that Eren shot him, Levi continued. "But at the same time, she's wrong too."

"What do you mean?"

"Eren, I'm old enough to be your father. You already have a father, so you don't need a father figure, or at least I hope you don't. So it's not that. We do hang out together a lot, but with the age gap, saying that we can be friends would be a longshot."

"Are you saying we're not even friends," Eren asked, his voice threatening to break. The day was turning into a nightmare.

"I said it's a longshot, not that it's completely impossible. But we've passed that point already, don't you think? You've seen me at my worst and you still stuck around. You even made sure I was okay. You were relentless even though I acted like a complete bastard, just to push you away from me. I'm saying it _was_ a longshot, but now we're there."

Eren felt his eyes filling with tears. With blurry vision, he stared down at the foam, trying to wrap his mind around Levi's words. That was good, what Levi said, right? So, they were friends, but... But what? His mind was too fuzzy from everything to completely understand the older man.

"S-so... Why is my mom wrong?"

Levi chuckled. "You cried your brains out, huh?" He stood up from the toilet seat and moved to the edge of the bathtub. He ruffled Eren's hair, obviously trying to encourage him. "She thinks what any other mother would think. She's a good parent. But she's wrong this time because she probably doesn't know how your being here has influenced me, or that I've pestered you to do your homework before we'd have our baking and cooking activities."

"Well, she _is_ happy with my grades."

"Okay, so why did you get upset over that? You could have told her that we're okay. I bet she thinks you're bothering me, being here every day. Well, not lately, but you get the idea."

"Because that's not all..." Eren blabbed before he had the time to bite his tongue.

Being so close to Levi made him stupid.

"There's more?" Levi asked, not moving from the bathtub edge. 

What the hell. His heart was broken anyway. He squirmed to sit upright in the tub. "She's worried about me, and, um..."

"And?"

"M-my feelings..." Eren blushed, but forced himself to look up at Levi.

"What are your feelings?" Levi asked in a soft and low voice, causing a shiver down Eren's back. He was giving him _that_ look again; the one that made his heart ache. The steel blue eyes were warm and calm on him, making him feel braver than he probably was.

For the second time that day, his body moved on its own until he was face-to-face with Levi. There was a flash of realization in the other man's eyes, but he didn't pull back.

"My feelings..." Eren whispered, leaning in slowly. His heart hammered in his chest. That was it. Now or never...

He felt Levi's fingers gripping his chin, stopping him and he focused his eyes on the man.

Levi seemed conflicted. His pupils were dilated, he was breathing through his mouth, a soft huffs of air that Eren felt on his lips. His breath smelled nice, Eren noticed as an afterthought. Levi's fingers were caressing his cheek, but he looked distracted.

"L-Levi?"

Levi blinked. His hand trembled and he removed it. "You should, uh..." He swallowed and cleared his throat. "You should take a shower to wash the foam off." He quickly stood up from the bath edge. "I'm gonna get you some of my clothes... And make tea..."

Eren stared at the door that Levi slammed behind him. He _wasn't_ upset, though he was acting strange.

Was he flustered?  

Despite having all his insecurities screaming at him, Eren chose to believe that he maybe, just maybe, might even have a chance.

 


	10. Chapter 10

Just as Eren stepped out of the shower and wrapped himself up in a large and soft towel, there was a knock on the bathroom door.

"I've found some clothes for you," Levi's voice was different than usual and Eren frowned. He opened the door to get the clothes, and found Levi doing his best not to look at him directly.

"Levi..."

"These will fit, I think," the man interrupted, shoving a folded pair of trousers and a shirt to Eren. "Ordered them via Hanji and she must have messed up something because they're too big for me."

"Oh... okay..."

"I'm gonna make that tea now," Levi murmured and hurried to his kitchen.

The boy stared after him, feeling a twist of regret in his stomach. As much as he was attracted to Levi, he'd rather they stayed the way they were before, just so everything would be normal. Normal and without that awful tension.

He closed the door and dressed himself, pausing shortly to sniff the shirt. It smelled like fresh laundry and soap. And faintly Levi.

Stepping out, Eren went directly towards the dining table, where he sat down and watched Levi working around his kitchen. He really was avoiding him.

"Levi, please..."

The man froze for a moment, but then continued his motions in a stiffer manner. "Yeah?"

"Please... Let's not do this..." Eren felt miserable. Honestly, he would rather suffer in silence and alone, without anyone knowing, than _this_. Anything but this. "You can't even look at me."

Levi's shoulders slumped, but he still didn't turn.

"I'm sorry for what happened in there. I don't know what came over me," Eren tried lying. He _did_ know what had come over him.

Levi shook his head and sighed. He finally turned to look at the boy. "You..." he trailed off.

Eren waited for him to continue. It was clear that he was searching for his words.

"You can't undo that," the older man said slowly, frowning.

"Then forget about it... Forget I said anything," Eren tried desperately.

"I can't forget about it Eren," Levi sighed, looking very uncomfortable. "I should, but I can't."

Once again, Eren noticed Levi's eyes and the way he was looking at him. He felt naked under that gaze and he shifted on his chair, trying to get more comfortable.

"Does it bother you that much," the boy asked.

He was startled when he heard a humorless chuckle from Levi. "It doesn't. That's the issue."

They stared at each other for several moments.

"My mom said that I'm too young to understand stuff and that you're too old for me. And that you'd never feel the way I do," Eren suddenly began to talk; his words making Levi's eyes grow a bit wider. "I ran away because I couldn't handle it. I couldn't handle knowing that you'd never, ever return my feelings. I can live not knowing, I really can. But now, this... I'm daring to say that I see something in your eyes, and I've seen it several times, and I know it's not just... It's not just... You don't just see me as a dumb kid."

The boy blinked a few times, to compose his feelings. "Now it's even worse. I see that you feel _something_ and you deny me..."

"You think this is a walk in the park for me?!" Levi nearly barked.

Eren's jaw clicked shut.

"It was easier to ignore your looks before you decided to talk about your feelings!"

" _You_ asked _me_ about my feelings!! And why should you ignore me?!"

"Because I can't be an old pervert on top of being a heartless bastard!! I don't _want_ to be that guy! I don't want you to be fifteen when I'm thirty-two! Why can't you be at least twenty? I can't have feelings for a brat like you!"

"I'm not a brat!" Eren yelled, an angry tear running down his cheek.

"Yes you are! Look at yourself! Pining over a guy who least deserves it!"

"Why don't you deserve it??"

"Because!! Because..." Levi trailed off once again. He shot Eren a pained look. "You just... You don't know me well enough. You don't need me or my emotional baggage."

Eren stood from his seat and walked up to Levi. "Then tell me about you... Tell me everything. Tell me about that old man you've talked to on the fair. And then leave me to decide if you deserve me or not. Even though you already know my decision."

The older man just blinked at him.

"See, now I didn't sound like a brat." Eren was proud of himself.

"You just ruined it," Levi smirked.

The tension seemed to lessen.

 

*****

 

After settling in front of the fireplace, Levi on the sofa and Eren on his spot on the rug, the older man began to talk. He talked about how Erwin convinced him to enlist. He talked about the good times and the bad times while he was a recruit, and later when he'd joined the Scouting Legion.

He talked about the horrors he'd seen on their missions, about the comrades they'd lost.

They were already on their second pot of tea when Levi finally came to the part about his squad and the old man.

 

*****

 

"The man that came to me at the fair... His daughter was in my squad. Petra," Levi's voice was morose. "She wasn't just my subordinate. She was my friend."

"What happened to her," Eren asked, already fearing the answer.

"Not just her. My entire squad died. I left them to die."

"I'm sure you didn't --"

"We were on a mission outside the walls and while we were riding through a forest, we got attacked. After killing several titans, I hurried after Erwin, to stay back on track with our plan. He convinced me to do so, to at least refill my gas tank."

Levi just continued to talk, seemingly not noticing that he'd interrupted.

"It was an aberrant. One of the rare classes that seemed almost intelligent. Like it had a plan of some sort. But I was confident they would manage on their own. I left them."

"I left them." The man repeated, staring at the flames inside the fireplace.

Eren shifted in his place, feeling a knot of dread in his chest.

"I had this feeling... I hurried back but... I was late... Gunter, Auruo, Erd..." His voice trembled. "... Petra... All four of them. Mangled. Their eyes still opened and... Staring at me. Like they were asking me ' _why_ '. Why did I let them down?"

Eren couldn't bear it. Levi's voice was so deeply hurt, sad and hollow that it broke his heart. Levi cared about the members of his squad. They were his friends; his good, if not closest friends and they've all died. Every single one of them died.

His eyes burning, Eren took a shivering breath and looked at Levi. The man was now silently watching him, his eyes dark and filled with pain of unshed tears.

So Eren cried instead.

"I'm sorry," he wept, a stream of tears running down his cheeks. "I'm so sorry... Levi... It's terrible..."

"Eren," he said softly.

"I should have known... You're a hero and yet you're alone... Everyone died... It's not fair... I'm so sorry," the boy continued to cry mournfully. His vision completely blurred, he moved from his spot and kneeled before Levi, gripping his arms.

"It's not fair," he repeated. "You didn't deserve it..."

" _They_ didn't," Levi whispered. "And you don't deserve to be this sad because of me, either."

Shaking his head, Eren reached towards the older man and embraced him tightly, hiding his face against his neck. Levi tensed for a moment, but then slid his arms around the boy.

Eren found himself awkwardly kneeling between Levi's legs, but he couldn't have cared less, not at that moment. He felt Levi's arms gradually tightening around him and he reciprocated, his heart beating wildly. Levi's breath was warm and steady against his ear, tickling just a little bit. Eren wanted to cry even more, his chest burning with emotions.

They moved. Their hands moved. Levi's slid through his hair, petting gently and holding him closer and closer still. Young trembling fingers tentatively touched Levi's neck, the soft and warm skin under the fingertips.

When Levi started to pull back, Eren placed a hand to the back of his neck, keeping him close.

"Please Levi... J-just..."

Levi slid a thumb under his eye, wiping the trail of tears.

The boy's heart skipped a beat. How he loved this man. He wanted to remove all the pain and misery that Levi had ever experienced. He wanted to kiss it all away, undo it all, just...

He closed his eyes, trembling from the gentle touch against his cheek. "Levi, I..."

The thought and the words got interrupted by warm lips claiming his. A shiver shot through Eren's body, finally settling in his chest, where it spilled into warmth and ache that he'd never felt before. Afraid to open his eyes, Eren relaxed into the touch, feeling Levi's mouth moving gently as he pressed slow kisses against his lips.

He was barely aware of the motion when Levi slid off the sofa together with him and laid him down on that soft fur rug, never stopping the kisses.

 

 

 

 

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *runs away from the horde of frustrated fans* ^_^'
> 
> Seriously, I love you guys! Thank you, each and every one of you for your lovely comments!


	11. Chapter 11

As he was lowered to the floor, Eren wrapped himself around the older man, feeling himself melt both into Levi's body heat and into the soft fur rug. He was certain he could spend the eternity like that, just being held and kissed.

When Levi stopped, he felt the feather-light touch of his fingertips over his neck and clavicle, which made him finally open his eyes. The view had left him breathless.

Levi was gazing at him as if he were something most precious to him. His eyes half-lidded, pupils dilated and shimmering in the soft glow of the fire, a tender look on his face.

"You've stopped crying," Levi whispered, nuzzling Eren's jaw.

"Yeah," the boy breathed, a small smile forming on his lips. "Levi... Kiss me more," he invited, heat gathering beneath his cheeks.

The older man complied, this time slowly and gently sliding the tip of his tongue between Eren's lips and making his breath hitch as a jolt of pleasure ran down his back. He gasped and Levi took the opportunity to kiss him even deeper, his eyes glinting with mild mischief when the boy quietly mewled.

Eren's eyes fluttered closed once more, giving into the sensations. Levi's hand traveled to the hem of his shirt, sliding under and then up along his stomach, teasing his ribs. The teen's body arched into the touch and his legs slightly opened, giving Levi space to settle in between them.

The contact made Eren cry out, which in turn made Levi roll his hips against him. 

He moaned... _Levi_ _moaned_.

"Oh my god," Eren said, half whispering. He felt the evidence of Levi's desire pressing against him and it drove him mad.

Levi turned his attention to the boy's neck, switching between gently kissing and sucking on the sensitive skin, now continuously undulating against him. Yanking his hand from underneath Eren's shirt, Levi blindly started to unbutton it, his lips and tongue following as more skin was revealed. He paused on Eren's nipple, flicking it with the tip of his tongue before gently nibbling on it.

The teen's hands flew to each side of his body, fingers digging into the rug.

"Levi!" He gasped, barely restraining himself from outright hollering.

The man hummed, continuing his exploration. When the shirt was unbuttoned, Levi sat up for a moment, only to pull his own off, giving Eren the view of his torso. Eren's gaze fell onto that big teeth-mark scar on Levi's side, but he forgot about it as soon as he was back between his legs.

Planting a slow kiss just under his navel, Levi glanced up to meet his eyes.

"Eren..." His voice was thick with arousal.

"Y-yeah?"

"Tell me if you want to stop."

Eren shook his head so fast, it was comical. "I don't wanna stop."

"Are you certain?" Levi gripped his hips, his fingers slightly shaking.

"I am," Eren swallowed nervously. "I'm sure. Don't ever stop, Levi."

The older man seemed to choke down a whimper as he pressed his forehead against Eren's stomach and hid his face.

He suddenly stood up and marched over to his bathroom, leaving the boy staring after him.

"What..." Eren heard him open and close the bathroom cabinets and rummage through his things.

Within moments, Levi was back and kneeling down in front of the teen, pulling him into a kiss that melted his core. It wasn't aggressive, but it was deep and passionate, the sinuous tongue sliding past Eren's lips, teasing his own.      

While the kiss lasted, Levi's hand dropped to Eren's bare stomach and then slowly inched down until he was able to cup him through the trousers. The boy bucked under the touch, the action making Levi purr lowly.

"I want to..." Levi droned in a husky voice. "I want to make you fall apart in my arms."

"Then do it. Do everything to me."

"Eren," he moaned, gathering the boy in his arms, kissing first his lips, then his jaw and neck. He skipped the chest and stomach in order to unfasten Eren's pants and slide them down his thighs, leaving him exposed. Eren flushed at the reminder that Levi hadn't given him any underwear after bathing, but the look in Levi's eyes made it easier to live through.

"You're perfect," Levi murmured, tracing a finger down Eren's arousal. He kissed his hipbone and maneuvered himself between the boy's legs, mouth slowly working towards his navel and then lower and lower until he pressed his lips against the tip of Eren's length.

Eren bit his lip, watching how he then disappeared inside Levi's mouth. The older man bobbed his head a few times, taking him deeper with every motion. The heat was pooling in his lower belly, the tightness becoming nearly unbearable.

And then Levi sucked.

"Ahh.. Hah..." The tightness had turned into the familiar throbbing and Eren couldn't have done anything about it – he was coming inside Levi's mouth, gasping for air and hiding his face in his hands, completely mortified.

When the warmth of Levi's mouth disappeared from him, he peeked down from between his fingers. Levi was wiping the corner of his mouth, obviously having swallowed his... His...

"I'm sorry, I'm so sorry," Eren nearly cried.

"Shh, it's okay," Levi purred, nuzzling his thigh. "I figured you wouldn't last long. That doesn't mean this is over," he smirked.

Eren was still feeling as though he was floating from his climax, but hearing Levi talking like that, and seeing his face convinced him that the pleasure was far from being over.

The older man reached for Eren's hand, kissed his palm and nuzzled his way up Eren's arm to his shoulder. He licked on his neck and then gently nibbled at his Adam's apple. Eren felt the skin on the back of his neck prickling with goose bumps.

"Will you be mine?" Levi murmured against his neck, in between open-mouthed kisses. He pressed his lips hard against one spot and sucked, making Eren mewl again in the attempt to move closer and escape at the same time.

"Yes!"

"All mine?" The man asked, tonguing the spot that now tingled from his assault.

"Nnhhh yours!! All yours!"

Levi kissed him and reached to the side, grabbing a small cream container. It was made out of frosted glass, with something white inside.

The slight anxiety settled in the pit of Eren's stomach, watching Levi as he opened the lid and swiped his fingers through the substance.

"W-what's that," the boy gulped, his thighs suddenly starting to shiver.

"Soft paraffin. It's for skin and... stuff," Levi gave an encouraging little smile, caressing Eren's leg. "Trust me. You know I wouldn't hurt you."

The boy nodded and laid back on the rug, observing every move the other man made. Levi rubbed his fingers together, and then took more of the lubricant on his fingertips. He then leaned over Eren and kissed him.

"Relax," he whispered, bringing his hand between Eren's legs. "Spread," he instructed, nuzzling the teen's blushing cheek. "Wider."

"Hah..."

"Don't be so embarrassed," Levi murmured, sounding amused. "Just enjoy." He slid his fingers down to the boy's perineum, pressing gently against it. It felt good, so Eren managed to calm down a bit. A slick touch over his entrance made him gasp with unexpected pleasure.

Levi slowly slid around it with his fingertips, otherwise busying himself with kissing down the boy's chest.

Eren was already hardening again, despite his nervousness, and Levi's soft lips were more than welcome on his length. His wicked tongue danced around the sensitive skin, causing Eren's breath to get caught in his throat.

He felt light pressure before Levi pushed a finger inside of him, slowly, gently. Everything about the seemingly harsh man was gentle. Eren's chest filled with warmth and that, combined with the pleasure he felt from down-below, was the most powerful sensation he had ever experienced.

"Levi," he breathed, nearly overwhelmed. The finger inside him slowly moved, teasing him. It stung a little if he tensed up, but felt really pleasurable when Levi's mouth kept him distracted.  

"Mm," Levi gave a long suck and then released him. "Feels good?"

"Yeah... so good..."

Levi gave him a smoldering look that nearly made his heart explode and took him back inside his mouth. He pulled his finger back and added another. It stretched and burned a bit more than before and Eren tensed up again.

Levi stilled his hand mid-motion and kept pleasuring the boy with his lips and tongue, stroking his thigh soothingly with his free hand. After a few moments, Levi slowly moved his fingers back and pressed gently back inside, repeating it until Eren relaxed his muscles. The older man was patient and thorough, paying attention to every wince or gasp that Eren produced.

The discomfort soon melted away and Eren found himself moving his hips, meeting every thrust of Levi's fingers. The sensations shot up his spine and flooded his entire body.

And then Levi's fingers pressed up.

Eren's eyes widened and he yelped in surprise. It was more. It was as though his whole pelvis was on fire, something throbbing deep inside of him. For a moment he thought he was going to climax again, but the feeling ebbed off when Levi stopped pressing that spot. He continued to finger the boy while he released him from his mouth and crawled on top of him.

He pressed that spot again, making Eren mewl with desire.

"You make such lovely noise," he murmured against Eren's lips.

"L-Levi," the boy moaned, "Please..."

"What do you want, Eren," he purred.

"You... I want – nhh," Eren panted, trying to talk and to kiss Levi all at once.

Levi pulled back and gently removed his slick fingers from Eren's body. He kneeled and unfastened his trousers, pulling them down along with his underwear. Shifting about, he managed to kick his clothes off and then turned to Eren, completely naked in front of him for the first time.

The teen's eyes immediately darted down to Levi's crotch and he stared. The sight of his arousal made Eren feel as though he was starving. As Levi slid closer, Eren lifted himself on his elbow, reached out and tentatively touched the warm velvety length, making the older man hiss. He rubbed his thumb over the tip, where a bead of translucent liquid had emerged. Noticing Levi biting his lip, Eren let him go and smiled bashfully, running his fingers through the neatly trimmed hair at the root of Levi's manhood.

"You're so warm and smooth," he whispered.

Levi's clean hand slid to cup Eren's cheek and he kissed him deeply before reaching for that container of soft paraffin and dipping his fingers inside once again, taking enough of the substance to spread over his length.

Eren watched mesmerized, trying not to think about Levi's size and the fact where it would be going in a matter of minutes.

Finally, Levi settled in between his thighs. He gripped Eren's ankles, getting him to wrap his legs around him before he leaned down to kiss him while gripping his length and teasing Eren's entrance with the head.

Eren felt like he would open up on his own, it felt incredible. It was slick and warm, hard against him, pushing against him and just as it would start breaching, Levi would pull back. It was driving Eren insane. But, that teasing seemed to relax him even more, and if he really concentrated, he could feel that Levi was pushing harder every time.

Levi's hot breath was against his lips, the dark hair was tickling his forehead, Levi's free hand gripping his shoulder for leverage.

"Do it," Eren practically begged, his entrance twitching and arousal throbbing. He was ready.

Levi stilled and pressed his cheek against Eren's, grunting in his ear. "Bear down."

Flushing a bit with mortification, Eren did and then felt Levi pushing slowly inside of him.

His breath hitched and he probably made a pained face because Levi's lips were immediately all over his face, kissing him gently on his cheeks, on his mouth, his temples, even the tip of his nose.

"Shh, just relax," Levi soothed. "I'll go really slow and if it still hurts, we'll stop, okay?"

Eren nodded, an embarrassing tear sliding from the corner of his eye to his temple. Levi's thumb traced the wet trail and he kissed the boy again, moving slowly forward until he was all the way inside.

Eren felt every throb and twitch of Levi's length and just like it was with fingers, he was gradually getting used to the feeling. He'd learned that it was more of a discomfort and stretching sensation than an actual pain. He took a deep breath and exhaled slowly, feeling his muscles relax once more.

"I think I'm okay now," he murmured, a hand sliding under Levi's arm, caressing his back.

The man looked him in the eye, and not breaking the contact, he made a cautious roll with his hips. Something throbbed inside Eren; something good.

"Ah..."

"Better?"

"A-again," the boy bit his lower lip.

Levi moaned and moved over him, carefully angling his slow thrusts. Every motion was sending throbs of desire throughout Eren's body. It was like he had suddenly awakened, the discomfort almost completely gone. The strange pleasure was pulsing in his insides in addition to Levi's ripped stomach sliding over his own fully hardened length.

Levi had found the spot again.

The boy moaned so loudly that it might have even been a scream. A scream, because it was so much more intense than before. Levi's fingers hadn't been able to stretch him like that, and even though their touch was more direct, this almost non-existent slide against this spot only made his desire grow. He needed it harder.

"Levi!!"

"So fine, so perfect..." The man grunted, showering his neck with wet kisses.

"M-more!"

"Oh shit," Levi actually whimpered at the demand, thrusting harder.

Eren saw stars. He didn't even know where his legs were – the whole feeling running to his pelvis. There was nothing else in the world at the moment.  There was no floor, no carpet, no fireplace, not even his legs, really. There was just Levi and the things he was making him feel. It bloomed in his stomach; it swelled up in his chest, the heartbeat pounding in his ears.  

"I'm gonna die," he whined, his head rolling back into the rug.

"No," Levi gave a winded chuckle, "You're just gonna come..." He doubled his efforts, pressing his body flush against Eren's to give him more friction. "Come for me, Eren."

The teen trembled, already feeling it right around the corner. Several perfectly aimed thrusts and Levi's breathless moans were all it took to bring him over the edge.

"Levi... Levi!" He cried out, twisting under the older man, spilling himself over his stomach. The shocks of pleasure kept running through his body as Levi continued his powerful thrusts and just as he thought he wouldn't be able to stand it much longer, Levi's motions faltered.

His jaw fell open in a silent scream and he froze over Eren, his hardness throbbing inside the boy. The sensation caused another deep jolt of pleasure through his core and Eren squirmed, whimpering softly. It felt perfect.

Wordlessly, Levi pressed a kiss on his lips, still breathing heavily through his nose. The boy closed his eyes and tried to calm his racing heart, enjoying the loving warmth from the other man.

One of his legs fell off from around Levi's waist, while the other barely hung there. It made him giggle and open his eyes.

Levi stared back at him before smirking and giving him another slow kiss, still buried deep inside of him.  

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *nearly dies from blood loss*  
> *shoves a tissue up her nose*
> 
> Dis isn't ober yet.
> 
> ****
> 
> Heyyy, hi, I'm just kidding ^^ I'm still alive and kicking. Though this chapter nearly did give me a massive nosebleed, but I guess that happens to all SnK fans when daring to imagine sex between Levi and Eren, right? Right. ^///^
> 
> I have to say THANK YOU to all you readers out there, you truly make my day when I see your comments! <3
> 
> And a huge, fatass TITAN THANK YOU to White_Youkai, who's been there for me during the writing of most of these chapters. My soulmate, I love you! :3   
> *throws teddy bears and chocolate hearts*


	12. Chapter 12

Still lying on the floor with Levi's comfortable weight on him, Eren sighed and shifted, adjusting his hold around the older man. His arms tightened around Levi's shoulders and he hid his face in the crook of Levi's neck, inhaling his intoxicating scent. The intense pleasure had passed and melted into cozy warmth that lulled him almost to sleep.

Levi moved then and slipped out from the boy's body. He placed a kiss to the shell of his ear and murmured softly. "How are you feeling?"

"Mm... Good," Eren hummed, grimacing right after as his stomach decided to grumble loudly. "Ah, hungry," the teen added, giving a sheepish little smile.

Levi chuckled and pecked him on the lips before sliding off of him. "I better feed you then." 

******  

Eren felt like his legs had turned to jelly. Getting up, gathering his clothes and hobbling towards the bathroom had earned him a barely suppressed amused look from Levi.

"Take your time," Levi called out after him just as Eren slammed the door shut.

Ears and cheeks burning, the teen sat down on the toilet and tried not to die of shame. He did his best to clean himself up, even though it took an embarrassingly long time.

When he finally peeked from the bathroom, Levi was already preparing dinner.

"Uhm..."

The older man immediately turned from the pot of vegetable soup and looked at Eren. "Everything okay?"

"Uh, yeah," Eren blushed, slowly taking a seat at the table.

"Are you feeling sore?" Levi asked, closing the distance. His hand slid familiarly into the boy's hair, smoothing it back.

"Just a bit," Eren closed his eyes and savored the touch. Now that he felt the pleasure of being with the man, even the feeling of having Levi's fingers in his hair was making his stomach throb.

"I wasn't laughing at you before you went to bathroom," Levi murmured into his ear. "Don't be so embarrassed."

"It's just new," Eren whispered. He couldn't look Levi in the eye. He felt naked in front of him. Something was off.

"Hey," warm fingers gripped his chin. "Look at me, Eren."

Eren blinked and vaguely felt wetness under his eye. He turned his gaze up at Levi, whose face suddenly paled and contorted with a mix of worry and regret.

"Shit."

"Levi..." Eren choked, surprised that he was in fact crying.

"Shit, shit," the fingers gripping Eren's chin began to tremble. "I shouldn't have done that to you. I'm such an idiot..."

"Levi, no..."

"No? Look at you. You're crying. You're regretting this, aren't you? It was too much for you... And I just... I just took you, there, on the floor."

"Wait!" Eren nearly yelled. This was all too confusing. He couldn't deal with Levi thinking he'd screwed up. Levi blinked at him, his hand falling from Eren's face. The loss of touch hurt.

"I... I just feel weird." The boy began, managing to hold the gaze on Levi. "I feel naked. And different. Like... It was wonderful, and I felt great when we were lying there. And then, we just... We just got up and that was it. I ran to the bathroom and you began to cook. Like nothing big happened."

Levi was still listening attentively.

"I feel like something big changed in me, and we're just acting like nothing happened..."

"Eren..." the older man sighed. The gentle hand was back on his cheek. "It's my fault and I'm sorry. I was never really good at showing feelings... Well, good feelings at least. Believe it or not, this is almost as new for me too. I've been on my own for so long that I just don't know how to act, especially with someone as young as you."   

Eren nodded, understanding. Levi had shown him all the affection he could while they made love, and even afterwards, he was really trying in his own awkward and almost antisocial way.

"But be honest Eren. Do you regret any of this?"

"No." Clear as day.

"So, you basically just need my attention?" Levi managed a small smile, still seeming skeptical.

Eren nodded and finally felt strong arms wrapping around him.

"You're such a brat," Levi murmured affectionately, holding the boy to his chest.

*****

After eating and cleaning up, Levi had decided it was time for bed. Eren's first thought was that he would be sleeping on the sofa, but Levi's raised eyebrow as he was brushing his teeth convinced him that he had a wrong idea.

"Either you'll be sleeping with me in the bed, or I'll sleep with you on the sofa. I prefer bed," Levi talked around the toothbrush.

"I was just trying to be polite," Eren protested, but inwardly he was all gooey and warm. He watched the older man rinse his mouth and meticulously clean the bathroom sink from the residual toothpaste.

"The discussion is closed," Levi finally smirked and went towards the bedroom. "There's a new, unused toothbrush in the bathroom cabinet, you can take it. I'm waiting for you in bed."

The words almost made Eren giggle. He had someone waiting for him _in the bed_.

He quickly went through his evening bathroom routine and hurried into the bedroom. The wooden floor was cold under his bare feet.

"Freezing..." he whined, climbing into the bed.

Levi stopped him just as he lifted the duvet. "Clothes that were on the floor don't go into this bed."

"But I don't have anything else right now!" Eren protested and earned himself a smirk from Levi, just before the man turned off the oil lamp.

"Then you'll be naked," a teasing voice murmured through the sudden darkness.

"It's freezing cold as it is!"

"I'll keep you warm," Levi promised.

It took Eren five seconds to be out of the borrowed clothes and under the covers. The bedding was cold, causing strong shivers down his back. He whined as his teeth chattered, he heard Levi snort, and then finally managed to press against his warmth.

"Oh my god, you're so warm... You're like a furnace," Eren sighed, loving the way Levi's arms wrapped around him and how he held him tightly.

"Is this okay," Levi asked as his hand slid down Eren's naked side and rested on his hip. His warm breath was tickling Eren's cheek, making him squirm against the older man.

"Why wouldn't it be okay?"

"I don't want to mess up even more. I really thought you were regretting what we did." Levi squeezed him a bit tighter. "When I saw you crying, it felt like a punch to my stomach."

Not knowing what to say, Eren searched for the other man's mouth in the dark. His lips slid over Levi's jaw before pressing a slow kiss. Levi immediately responded, the gentle glide of tongue making Eren melt against him.

He wanted to make Levi feel like that too.

He broke the deep kiss, his lips finding a spot under Levi's ear where he licked and sucked, causing a moan of his name. His hand sneaked underneath Levi's nightshirt, fingers playing over his ripped abs. He was so warm.

Eren shivered with a newly awakened desire. The darkness made him feel more, smell and taste more. Levi was silky smooth, so, so warm and he smelled so good that Eren's mouth began to water.

The first time, he was too nervous with anticipation, so he couldn't thoroughly enjoy the sensations and the scent from another man, just from being pressed against him.

He nibbled on Levi's neck, licked his throat, kissed his jaw. Yanking the shirt off of Levi, he slid lower to nuzzle his chest – the intoxicating scent was stronger there.

Eren whined into the strong pectorals, rutting against Levi's clothed thigh. Why did he have to wear anything to bed?

"Off," he pleaded, tugging on the waistband of Levi's bottoms.

"And then?" Levi purred, shimmying out of his pajama bottoms.

"I want more... I need..." Eren whispered, stretching on top of the older man. His hand slid down and closed around Levi's length.

"Again?" Levi groaned as the boy squeezed him and stroked slowly.

"Yeah," Eren breathed, burying his face in between Levi's neck and shoulder. And right then, he felt a small jab of insecurity. "Do you want me again?"

He was suddenly pushed and flipped onto his back, Levi's weight pressing him into the mattress.

"Wait here," the older man growled and disappeared off of him. He heard footsteps in the dark, and then a bang and Levi's curse, which made him giggle. The door of the bedroom opened, which allowed some light to come in. 

Levi was back almost immediately, with the familiar small container in his hand. He closed the door and Eren's heart began to beat faster as he recalled the feeling of Levi moving inside of him. He welcomed the man with open arms, pulling him on top of him with urgency.

"Levi..."

"Be patient," Levi soothed and kissed down his body. He heard the container being opened but then Levi did nothing more with it. Eren felt open-mouthed kisses down his stomach, until Levi's chin brushed against his erection.

Not waiting, Levi took him in his mouth and swirled his tongue around. His stomach was fluttering again, the pleasure throbbing and he knew he was dripping in Levi's mouth. The thought made him moan. Or Levi moaned, he wasn't even sure. Because Levi seemed even more into it than he was earlier, judging by the sounds he was making.

Eren figured that he was perhaps more relaxed as well, now that they passed that 'first time' nervousness. His hands found their way into Levi's hair, stroking slowly, trying not to pull when the man gave a stronger suck.

The teen heard him moan again, and he moved in a slow rhythm.

"Levi, what..."

Levi released him and panted into his thigh. "Just... Stay like this."

Eren felt him shifting around until suddenly, Levi was straddling him and taking his aching arousal in his slick hand, rubbing slowly.

Levi leaned closer to him and murmured in a husky voice. "I want you to feel this kind of pleasure too." He kissed him slowly and moved back, gripping Eren's erection firmly and sinking slowly down on it.

"O-oh my g..." the boy wheezed, the sensation leaving him breathless.

The feeling was nothing like Levi's mouth or hand. It was intense. It was hot and deep and so tight. Levi groaned on top of him, stilling his body for a few moments before moving again, at first really slow.

"Levi," Eren whined, not daring to move under him. "Not fair... I can't even see you..."

"You want to see me..." Levi purred lowly, shifting his weight to his right, but not separating from Eren. He fumbled in the darkness and managed to light up the oil lamp.

The view had Eren almost climaxing.

Levi was riding him slowly, the strong muscles in his thighs and stomach tensing and relaxing, his hips rolling sensually. Eren's hands smoothed up and down his sides, until he pulled him down to kiss him, his hold sliding around Levi's back.

"You feel so good," Eren mewled, nuzzling Levi's cheek. The older man caught his lips in a kiss, tilting his pelvis and taking Eren deeper inside of him. They fitted perfectly, Eren thought. He gripped Levi's hips again and gave an experimental thrust into the inviting heat.

He honestly wasn't expecting a breathy, keening " _Eren_ " spilling from Levi's lips.

That was almost too much. He almost...

He whined in response, his hips jerking on their own and Eren squeezed his eyes shut, praying to every deity out there to keep him from coming just yet. He wanted for it to go on forever.

The immediate danger of orgasm seemed to have passed and Eren dared to open his eyes.

Seeing Levi on top of him all flushed and glowing in the weak light, gave him the courage to take initiative and build up a steady rhythm, driving up every time that Levi pushed down.

It seemed to be to Levi's liking.

"Oh God, don't stop, Eren," he leaned down and claimed the boy's lips once more, tongue slipping past them. Hearing the praise, Eren thrust a bit harder and Levi's head rolled back in pleasure, breaking the kiss. He arched his back, this time moaning in earnest. "Y-yes, right there!"

The loud cry caused a sharp jolt of lust through Eren's body. Not even knowing what he was doing, he suddenly moved, somehow grabbing Levi around his waist and tumbling them both so that Levi ended up lying on his back, Eren on top of him.

Levi stared at him, eyes widened with honest surprise, but then he smirked and tugged the boy closer.

Eren had slipped out in that maneuver, so he even got the privilege to enter Levi on his own. He was slow and gentle, even as Levi grumbled and yanked him for more. When he was back inside once more, he pressed his face to Levi's neck, nipping the skin while trying to establish some kind of rhythm behind his thrusts.

It was easier when Levi was in charge, but this... This was new and it felt so good, so tight, that he just couldn't decide how to move. Everything felt exquisite.

The man underneath him... Levi... Levi was perfect. The usually grumpy and detached man was warm and opened; his face was flushed, his brow sweaty, his eyes... His eyes were glassy and dark, inviting. His lips parted and swollen, glistening from the wet kisses.

"Levi..." The teen rolled his hips desperately, his whole body trembling from the passion. "Levi, I..." Shaky fingers traced Levi's jaw, trying to show what wouldn't come out of Eren's mouth.

"I know," the man whispered, taking Eren's face in his hands and kissing him deeply. He wrapped himself around Eren, squeezing him with his muscled legs.

The boy licked and bit on the soft lips pressing against his, speeding up his thrusts, finally finding a pace that made them both gasp for air. He felt Levi twitching rhythmically around him, whole body becoming taut.

"Eren," he warned, sounding as if in pain.

It was overwhelming. Eren felt the familiar heat pooling up in his groin, making his hips buck urgently.

A surprised gasp from Levi had drawn his attention to his face and then lower, ignoring Levi's fingers digging painfully into his back. He watched as Levi came untouched with a long, low moan that melted Eren's core. He never stopped his powerful thrusts, staring down as the milky white seed spilled from Levi's pulsing length.

The sensations and the view pushed him over the edge and he lost himself in Levi's warmth, sobbing out his pleasure.

Finally calming down, his mind hazy, Eren had to check his cheeks for tears because he was certain he was crying. Finding nothing but dampness from sweat, he blinked down at Levi, who in turn gave a tired smile.

"You little... brat..." Levi panted, still shaking from his orgasm.

"What'd I do?" the teen nearly slurred, his head spinning slightly. He wondered if people felt like this when they were drunk, in the end concluding that sex was surely way better than that.

"You did good... Very, very good," Levi purred, caressing his back with opened palms, soothing the spots where his fingers were digging in earlier.

Eren's chest filled with warmth and he smiled, hiding into the pillow next to Levi's head. He slowly withdrew from the older man and turned to his side, snuggling up to him.

"It was amazing," the boy whispered, linking his fingers with Levi's.

"It was," Levi agreed. He quickly wiped his stomach with his shirt and threw it on the floor. "Won't be needing this," he smirked and pulled Eren into his arms.  

Cuddling up together under the thick duvet filled with goose feathers, Levi looked the boy in the eye.

"I don't want to hurt you."

Eren blinked. "What, why?"

"I don't want to see you crying over this... Us. So, whenever you feel you need me to hold you or kiss you, just tell me. As I said, this is as new for me.

"Oh," Eren felt relieved.

"I was always very reserved from feelings during the war. When you lose comrades and friends every day, you really don't want to _love_ anyone. I'm not saying I never felt pain and sorrow, but I'm sure you understand that losing someone who you care about in a romantic way hurts much deeper."

"I can imagine," Eren nodded. He held Levi tighter.

"I've met some couples. People fell in love while being in the same squads... You can't really help it sometimes. And when a person from a couple died in battle or went missing in action... I've seen both men and women falling apart. No military training could have prepared them for that. I've seen a woman trying to resuscitate her lover, even though his whole lower body was missing and he'd been dead for hours."

Eren felt like crying. Not one veteran had told him a story like that. Some things were obviously being held from young people like him. The soldiers that wanted to talk usually told interesting adventures or battles that ended up well for the humanity. No one ever told him the gruesome side of it all.

"Levi," he whispered, nuzzling into the man's neck.

"I talk too much," he sighed, stroking Eren's back gently.

"No," Eren shook his head. "I like it when you talk. I'm just really glad that we're safe now."

"Me too. Especially that I've met you," he murmured, the soft sound making Eren's chest hurt and his stomach flutter. He closed his eyes and relaxed next to Levi, savoring the warmth of his body. He was barely holding onto his consciousness, tired from the whole day and its ups and downs.

He slept.

*****

Eren slowly blinked, waking up. Levi had turned off the lamp and the dawn wasn't even near, judging by the darkness and the complete serenity of the surroundings. He guessed he'd slept maybe for an hour or so.

His fingers were still intertwined with Levi's and he felt him move.

"You're awake?" He asked.

"Mm," Levi affirmed softly. "Sleep seems to evade me tonight."

"Can I help?"

In the darkness, Levi found his lips and kissed him slowly, his tongue tracing along gently. He squeezed his hand and then pulled him closer, embracing him tightly. Eren whimpered, feeling affection combined with lust as the older man sucked on his lower lip.

"I need you," Levi breathed against his mouth.

*****

They ended up on their sides, Eren behind Levi, taking him with slow and gentle thrusts, stroking Levi's throbbing length until he spilled himself onto the sheets with a soft cry. Eren followed a moment later, clutching onto Levi.

If he could choose to spend eternity in the dark, in bed with Levi, he wouldn't mull over it for a second. And he was certain he would never be able to love anyone more than he loved Levi. The thought made his stomach clench painfully and yet so exquisitely.

And then, as if he were reading his mind, Levi turned to face him in the darkness, pressing close and entwining their arms and legs.

"I love you, Eren."

 

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey everyone!
> 
> I wanted to thank you all again for your lovely comments and for the support and say SOWWY for waiting for so long for this chapter. It's holiday madness here, I'm wondering how many people will actually celebrate Levi's b-day, hahahaha ^^ (knowing Levi, he'll be 'thrilled')
> 
> I just feel the need to clarify this chapter, in order to avoid a possible "Attack on Kazuma" XD  
> So, All these few chapters after Eren had a "disagreement" with his mother, are happening in one late afternoon/evening/night. So it's all the same day. I'm saying this because all three times the guys had sex happened in one evening/night and some people might think it's too much? Unrealistic? Something? I just wanted to say - Eren's a hormonal, HORNY teenager, and he could go all night; and Levi? He's been alone for YEARS, so he has all this pent up lust and yeah... 
> 
> So, now that I've tried to explain myself for writing 3200 words of (nearly) pure smut, I'll leave you to comment ^^
> 
> Also, a huge special thanks to White_Youkai, who is always there for me any my inspirational crisis <3


	13. Chapter 13

When Eren woke up the next morning, he didn't even have to open his eyes to know that Levi was there beside him. The whole evening and the night had not been a dream. He enjoyed the naked warmth pressing against his side, the strong arms wrapping around him, and the raspy masculine voice that greeted him.

"'Morning," Levi husked, nuzzling his cheek.

"Hi," the boy blushed, not exactly used to waking up next to the man he was head-over-heels for.  

"What's this now," Levi teased, "You're only shy during daylight?"

Eren sputtered, still blinking the sleep out of his eyes. "I'm not shy, I'm just..."

"You're cute," the older man said and then groaned, covering his eyes with both his hands. "I can't believe I just said that. Keep away brat, you'll ruin my grumpy personality."

And just like that, Eren's slight embarrassment completely disappeared, being replaced with unreserved happiness. He loved it that he managed to break through Levi's walls; to see the person who was hiding there all that time.

Eren snuggled up to the older man, hiding his face into his neck and sliding his hand down his abdomen. When he felt the different texture of skin under his fingertips, he peeked down and flinched as he realized he was touching the bite mark scar on Levi's left side.

"I'm sorry!"

"It doesn't hurt anymore," Levi sighed.

"How did you... I mean, when..." Eren trailed off, not knowing how to even ask about it, but was too curious to refrain from it.

"On my first mission outside of the Walls. I was young and cocky and I believed I could take an aberrant on my own. I wanted to prove myself so badly. One second of miscalculation and the bastard had its teeth in me as if I were a chew toy. I really thought I was a goner."

Eren gaped. "How did you escape?!"

Levi snorted. "Erwin saved me."

"Erwin Smith-danchou?"

"Yeah. He came swooshing down like a fucking whirlwind, killed it on the spot. And I fell out of its mouth like a piece of meat. Erwin was so pissed at me..."

Eren shivered in dread.

Levi squeezed him tighter. "It was pure luck that its teeth didn't go all the way through the muscles. And it taught me a lesson I'll never forget. I was never so reckless again."

"I'm glad," Eren whispered into Levi's neck.

"Believe me, I am too."

The boy chuckled. "Hey, so, you were friends with Erwin Smith? Why not anymore?"

"You should know the answer to that by now," Levi sighed. "I've pushed _everyone_ away. Erwin wasn't as persistent as Hanji, so he just let me go, while she kept pestering me and dropping by whether I liked it or not. I guess... I guess maybe I could talk to him now."

"Did I fix you?" Eren asked half-teasingly and half-hopingly.

The older man rolled his eyes at him. "Dream on kid. You've turned me into an old pervert, so we can't really talk about 'fixing me' now, can we?"

The teen snickered. "You're not a pervert."

"But I am old, is that what you're saying?" Levi raised an eyebrow and Eren couldn't keep his giggles inside anymore. "I'll show you who's old, you damned brat," he muttered and wrestled the boy into the mattress.

Eren wiggled against the other man's weight, laughing helplessly between the kisses, bites and Levi's empty threats. His heart was hammering from the exertion and from the turmoil of emotions.

"I love you," he blurted, stopping Levi in his tracks. The older man stared down at him. He'd said it last night when Eren was too overwhelmed to even try. "You have no idea," Eren continued, "No idea just how much... When you kissed me last night, I thought I was gonna die... I'll never feel this for anyone but you..."

Levi's mouth twitched into a half smile. "I might have some idea."

Eren felt his cheeks flush with heat. He felt like a love-sick idiot and to be honest, he liked it. Nothing could ruin those feelings for him... Nothing...

The warmth got suddenly replaced by anxiety.

"What's wrong," Levi noticed immediately, shifting his weight and settling down next to Eren again.

"I have to explain... To my parents."

"I know."

"W-what should I say?" He was starting to panic.

"The truth. Well, not the _whole_ truth because your mother will castrate me... But the general idea. You like me, I like you back... I'm not corrupting you... Or I'm trying not to, at least," Levi added, nipping at the teen's earlobe.

"Will you go with me?" Eren asked hopefully.

"Not a chance. I think it's wisest if I kept some distance from your folks for now. Trust me, they probably wouldn't be too thrilled to have their son's _older_ suitor in their house when you tell them about us. If I were as old as you, then maybe."

Eren groaned and took a deep breath. "Okay so..."

 

*****

 

The boy gave a sheepish smile as he came through the door of his house.

"Hey mom..."

Carla looked both angry and relieved all at once. She hurried to Eren, yanked his ear _hard_ and then embraced him with all her strength.

"Don't ever do that again, Eren," she sighed, caressing the back of his head.

"I'm sorry," he sighed, returning the hug.

"You know I only wish the best for you..."

"I know," Eren murmured. "Listen, mom..."

"You stayed at Levi's house, right?"

"Yeah. He... I..."

She released him from her hold. "What's the matter?"

"I'd like to have that talk with you now..."

Carla smiled and led her son to the table, sitting him down. She sat across the table and leaned towards him. "Alright, I'm listening."

"Yesterday, I took off because... Because I was hurt." Eren sighed, collecting his wits. His heart was pounding but he was going to go through this. "You guessed correctly that I have feelings for him... But then you told me that my feelings weren't real and to top that, you said that he would never feel the same and that made me really sad."

"I never wanted to hurt you, Eren," she said remorsefully. "I was trying to save you from heartache..."

"I know, but you were wrong, mom," the boy said with a little smile.

"I was wrong?"

"That's what I wanted to tell you. To dad, too, but he's not home now. It doesn't matter. I'll say it over and over again if I have to. Levi, he... He feels the same."

Carla's eyes widened. "What?"

"Yesterday, when I ran from home, he gave me dry clothes, he fed me and we talked for a long time. He wanted to know why I was crying when I came knocking at his door. So I told him everything. And mom, he does feel the same... He loves me... He said he loved me..."

Eren's words were now a whisper, the feelings overwhelming him once more. He wanted to smile and to cry at the same time while his mother kept staring at him with a shocked expression.

"Eren..."

"Mom."

She swallowed and blinked once. Twice. "I... I see that you're really smitten but... Eren, he's so much older... And he _really_ said he loved you?!" She sounded incredulous.

"Yes. I'm not imagining this. He really said he loved me. And he kissed me." He blushed. Not the whole truth, Levi's voice rang in his head.

Carla paled. "H-he what!" She reached across the table and grabbed Eren's hand. "Eren, if he forced you in any way..."

"What, no! He didn't! What are you saying?"

"I don't care if he's a veteran, your father is a renowned physician and we can have him sued--"

"Mom, mom, stop!" The teen interrupted. "He didn't do anything to me. I promise!"

She gave him a look. "You're not just defending him now?"

"No, I'm not. He didn't push me, or force me, or hurt me in any way. We just... came to realize we both feel the same. He was reluctant at first and angry at himself because I'm so young. He said he didn't want to be an old pervert."

"Well, at least he has some sense to feel guilty," Carla muttered, frowning still. "And why isn't he here with you, like the last time?"

Eren smiled a bit. It wasn't going so bad. "He said it's maybe wiser if he kept some distance at first. To give you and dad time to get used to the idea of him being... with me."

Carla grumbled and looked at her son. "Damn it. He's respectful."

"He is. And he's actually very kind and caring. He just forgot how to show it."

"Okay, I'll trust your judgement. And he seemed decent the other day when I met him. But Eren, if he ever hurts you... I'll hunt him down and I _will_ geld him."

"He mentioned that too, so I believe he won't," Eren laughed and after a long sigh, Carla's own soft laughter joined his.

 

 

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wahhhh, only the epilogue is left now....
> 
> Thank you all for reading and reviewing <3 
> 
> I had so much fun with this story and I love it so much it makes me sad to see it end... But there will be others, AND maybe some special chapters for this particular universe :)   
> I'll try to be quicker with the Epilogue and that you won't have to wait for it like you did for this chapter... Xmas and New Years madness got to me and I had no time to TURN, let alone write this story ^^


	14. Epilogue

_Three years and six months later_

 

*****

It was a bright and very warm June day. What was special about that particular day was that Eren had graduated from high school. He was finally done with that part of his education and now was heading towards the next – the Military Academy. Still amazed with everything that had to do with military, especially the disbanded Scouting Legion, Eren was ecstatic when he got the word that he was accepted into the Academy.

He had been preparing for it for the past few years, with Levi's help. The older man had even made a construction in his yard and hooked his old 3D maneuver gear up, so Eren could learn the basics of holding his balance. They both knew the boy wouldn't really need the 3D gear all that much, but it was worth to know the past.

*****

Eren wiped the sweat from his brow before knocking on Levi's door. He patiently waited until the door swung open and he got a glimpse of the other's face.

"Why are you even knocking anymore?" Levi asked, his face fixed into his trademark ' _bored to death_ ' expression. He hooked a finger into the collar of Eren's shirt and pulled him down for a kiss.

"Damn you and your height," he muttered against the young man's lips. "Growing like a weed..."

"I'm sorry," Eren smiled, wrapping a free arm around his (much) shorter lover. "I would've never guessed I'd be nearly as tall as Erwin-danchou."

"He noticed the other day," Levi grumbled. "He teased me about it until I had to throw him out of the house."

Eren snickered into Levi's neck and earned a pinch to his side.

"Ow..."

"So, what's this," Levi asked, nodding towards the bag in the teen's hand.

"My clothes?" Eren offered helpfully. "Oh, and my mom sends you these," he rummaged through the bag and produced a smaller paper bag which was filled with fresh chocolate chip cookies.

"Oh, nice!"

Eren beamed at the look on Levi's face. Over the past couple of years he learned how to smile more often. And the fluttering in Eren's chest was always there, every time he saw Levi smile. The man interrupted him in his musings, though.

"It's not even been three hours since your graduation ceremony and you're already here?" He smirked.

"Ah," Eren blushed a little. "I couldn't wait... Moving in with you has been on my mind for _months_..."

"So why wait one more day, hm?" The older man purred.

"Right," Eren breathed. He took a step closer to Levi and closed the front door behind him. A part of him loved that he had grown so tall that he could just pick Levi up and carry him around the house. The other part felt guilty for outgrowing him so much, making Levi yank him down every time he wanted a kiss.

Which he was doing right now.

Bending to his will figuratively _and_ literally, Eren caught his lips. A few chaste kisses and only a hint of tongue, and the teen was already feeling heat blooming in his stomach. He deepened the kiss until he was sucking Levi's tongue into his mouth with heady lust.

"I wanna have you before dinner," Levi husked, breaking the kiss. He didn't wait for a response, already grabbing Eren's hand and dragging him towards the bedroom.

Levi pushed the boy down onto the bed and straddled his thighs, wrapping his arms around his neck. He pressed to kiss Eren again, teasingly grinding in his lap.

The warmth and friction were driving Eren mad with lust. His hands slid down and squeezed the firm muscles of Levi's bottom, pressing him down harder against his growing arousal.   

"Eren," Levi hissed, arching his back.

The boy grunted, busy with sucking at the soft skin of Levi's neck. He tasted like... Eren couldn't tell. Like rain, and air... Levi's breath hitched and Eren moaned, biting down gently.   

"Taught you good," Levi teased breathlessly, writhing against him.

"You're worth paying attention to," the teen countered.

"Shut up and kiss me."

Eren chuckled and deliberately fell back, Levi on top of him. He pulled him in for a kiss, loving to have Levi's thighs around him, this way or that.

After several moments of wet kisses and whispered praises, not even aware when Levi managed to remove all of their clothes out of the way, Eren found himself naked and squirming under his lover's attentions. In the meantime Levi had grabbed hold of the soft paraffin to keep close and busied himself with teasing the boy in all the right places.

"Turn over," Levi murmured while kissing his hipbone.

Eren obeyed and purred lowly as Levi's warm hands slowly massaged his butt, thumbs pressing teasingly close to his entrance. Eren gasped once he felt Levi's hot breath over his exposed flesh. He shivered despite the hot and humid day, goose-bumps rising on his skin as Levi's slick tongue slid against him.

"Levi," he whined, wriggling his hips.

The man groaned while softly tonguing him, the wet noises making Eren's cheeks flush. Some things still made him self-conscious and Levi always took opportunities to make him squirm like that, obviously enjoying it.

"L-Levi... Hah..." The teen's eyes rolled back at the sensations. The slight embarrassment was replaced with burning lust as Levi stiffened his tongue and circled around his entrance.

Eren felt his toes curl, the heat rising in his belly. If Levi kept it up, he would certainly be able to climax just from that. His heart pounding all the way up in his throat, Eren pushed back, the need stronger than his shame.

He heard Levi chuckle before entering him with his tongue. It was barely there, but Eren felt like someone splashed warm liquid all over his back, his body's reaction was that strong. He nearly sobbed in pleasure as Levi slowly teased him.

The older man paused, running a finger between Eren's buttocks. "Do I continue with this or do I take you," he purred.

"Yes," Eren gasped, barely understanding what Levi had asked.

"Yes to what," Levi laughed.

"What... What? I don't know! Just..." The teen squirmed and rutted against the mattress as Levi gave him one more lick.

The warm wetness of Levi's tongue and lips left him and Eren gazed back over his shoulder, only to see the man taking a generous scoop of soft paraffin and slickening himself up. He took more to cover his fingers and his attentions were immediately back on the teen.

When Levi finally pressed two fingers inside of him, Eren mewled with lust. Panting for air, he clawed at the bedding and lifted his backside in attempt to take Levi's fingers deeper.

"Oh what a view," Levi droned, gently thrusting his digits in and out, applying light pressure against Eren's prostate every time he was deep inside. His whole body was humming and he was certain he couldn't take more of the sweet torture.

"Levi," he moaned pitifully.

That seemed to work on the older man, as he withdrew his fingers and pressed his hard arousal against Eren's twitching entrance. He leaned down further, letting his bodyweight to push him into Eren, slowly. The teen felt every thick centimeter sliding into him, stretching him open and sending surges of pleasure every bit of the way.  

Levi paused when he was all the way in, licking a trail up Eren's spine and kissing between his shoulder blades. He only moved his hips in slow circles, not pulling away and the sensations made Eren tremble with need.

"Feels good?" Levi asked, caressing Eren's left side and leaving his hand at the boy's waist.

"P-perfect," the teen stuttered, arching his back a bit.

At that, Levi withdrew and in one smooth motion slid back inside, causing them both to gasp loudly. He repeated it a few more times before straightening himself up and clamping his hands down on Eren's waist, pushing him hard into the bed.

Holding him pinned like that, Levi established a slow but hard rhythm which almost made Eren see stars, it was that intense. He held onto the pillow and nearly chewed on it, moaning with every thrust. It egged Levi on; Eren knew it and loved it so much. With every sound he made, he felt and heard the older man losing his composure.

Levi's hands released his waist, only to slide to his hips and haul him up to his knees, legs spread wide. Eren found the position lewd and insanely hot, rocking back and forth while taking Levi in.

"Be still, you little..." Levi panted, holding him in place.

Eren felt him twitching inside of him and understood that he was very close to his limits. It made his own arousal throb in sympathy, knowing that any rushed movement could make Levi climax.

"So hard" he mewled, wriggling his hips and making Levi shiver against his body. Eren's length pulsed with barely contained pleasure, a few drops of clear pre-essence trickling out. He reached back and grabbed hold of Levi's hand, bringing it to his weeping erection, grinning wildly when Levi moaned as his fingers connected with the silky fluid.

"Touch me," he pleaded innocently, giving an affectionate look over his shoulder. Levi looked ready to explode. Eren watched him bite his lip before he leaned forward and wrapped both arms around him, stroking him slowly with his right hand, still not moving from the place deep inside him.

"Move, Levi," the boy breathed, already feeling the numbing pleasure rising from his belly.

"I don't want to come just yet," Levi grunted.

There was no way for Eren to keep still after that. He loved the feeling of Levi's manhood twitching inside of him, he loved the desperation in his voice as he tried his best to hold off his orgasm. That's exactly why Eren refused to listen to him. He wanted to hear it.

So he moved. Forward and then slammed back, taking Levi's entire length.

"E-Eren..." the older man choked, doubling over Eren's back.

"Come," Eren gasped, his whole pelvis tingling with impending release. "I'm close, Levi, so close... I'm gonna come!" As the first pulses of his climax surged through his body, Eren felt how Levi froze against him and throbbed inside him.

He heard the rough, low moan and even felt it against his back, Levi's chest resonating with the sound. The rhythmic swelling of Levi's length inside of him subsided and he felt him relax against his back with almost whole weight.  

Everything went still except for their heaving chests. Slowly, Levi's fingers traced his side, his hip, and his thigh before the man gently pulled out and rolled to the side, a dreamy look on his face. The teen smiled and landed right next to him, carefully avoiding the wet spot he'd caused on the sheets.

Levi made a satisfied grunt and Eren replied in the same manner, snickering right after.

"Lusty little bastard," the older man smirked, pulling him into a sweaty embrace, which Eren happily reciprocated.

"I'm your lusty bastard," the teen murmured, affectionately nuzzling behind Levi's ear. "And now you're stuck with me."

"Should've seen it coming, huh?" Levi feigned to regret.

"Yep," Eren giggled.

They lazed in silence for some time, Levi gently caressing Eren's body wherever he could reach. Kissing the boy on the nose, he shifted a bit.

"We should get out of bed soon. Erwin and Hanji will be here in a few hours and I'm still not done with the food."

"I'll help you," Eren yawned, stretching on the bed. He grinned as he caught the hungry look the older man was giving him. "Now who's the lusty bastard?"

"No, I'm the old pervert, remember?"

"Right," Eren made a show of remembering and earned a light smack to his rump. He giggled and scrambled to get up and dress, but was suddenly stopped. Levi grabbed his hand and pulled him back onto the bed, wrapping his arms around his shoulders.

Smiling, he gave Eren a slow, affectionate kiss before murmuring against his lips.

"Welcome home."

 

 

 

 

 

 

The End

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh my god, I'm gonna cry...  
> I got so attached to this story, it's not even funny T_T 
> 
> I want to thank each and every one of you who kept reading, commenting, who gave me all these kudos <3 Big hug to you all!
> 
> I'm already working on a new story, so if you wanna get notifications, please be free to follow me on tumblr, I go by kazuma85 there as well :)  
> And also, since I'm literally teary-eyed over this story, feel free to drop me some asks if you'd like me to write some special little chapters, give me prompts if you'd like :) 
> 
> Till next time, stay great :3


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